title: Temporal coordination of pelvic and perineal striated muscle activity during micturition in female rabbits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the motor basis of urine expulsion the activity of the pelvic (pubococcygeus) and perineal (bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus) muscles was recorded during micturition in anesthetized female rabbits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Virgin female chinchilla rabbits were used for simultaneously recording cystometrograms and electromyograms of the pubococcygeus, ischiocavernosus and bulbospongiosus muscles. The particular contribution of each muscle during micturition was analyzed in another set of experiments in which each was inactivated by bilateral lidocaine injection. Bladder function was assessed using standard urodynamic parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cystometrography showed that micturition comprises 2 phases, that is storage and voiding phases. During the latter phase no high frequency oscillations were recorded. On simultaneous electromyography recordings a temporal, coordinated activation of pelvic (pubococcygeus) and perineal (bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus) muscles was observed. During specific blockade of each muscle some modifications in urodynamic parameters were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate a specific role for the pelvic and perineal muscles during feminine micturition.
authors.affiliation: Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México.
authors.forename: Dora Luz
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Corona-Quintanilla
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castelán
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fajardo
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manzo
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Gómez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D054792:Muscle, Striated / Q000502:physiology*; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D010502:Perineum / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors; D014554:Urination / Q000502:physiology*