title: Intravenous or local injections of flavoxate in the rostral pontine reticular formation inhibit urinary frequency induced by activation of medial frontal lobe neurons in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The rostral pontine reticular formation has a strong inhibitory effect on micturition by facilitating lumbosacral glycinergic neurons. We assessed the influence of the rostral pontine reticular formation on the micturition reflex after noradrenaline injection in the medial frontal lobe. We also examined the relation between the medial frontal lobe and the rostral pontine reticular formation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Continuous cystometry was performed in 28 female rats. After the interval between bladder contractions was shortened by noradrenaline injection in the medial frontal lobe we injected glutamate or flavoxate hydrochloride in the rostral pontine reticular formation or intravenously injected flavoxate or propiverine. The change in bladder activity was examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Noradrenaline injection in the medial frontal lobe shortened the interval between bladder contractions. In contrast to the bladder contraction interval before and after noradrenaline injection in the medial frontal lobe, the interval was prolonged after noradrenaline injection when glutamate or flavoxate was injected in the rostral pontine reticular formation, or flavoxate was injected intravenously. Noradrenaline injection in the medial frontal lobe plus intravenous propiverine injection also prolonged the interval compared to that after noradrenaline injection alone. However, the interval after noradrenaline injection in the medial frontal lobe plus intravenous injection of propiverine was shorter than that before noradrenaline injection only.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medial frontal lobe neurons excited by noradrenaline may facilitate the micturition reflex via activation of inhibitory interneurons, which inhibit descending rostral pontine reticular formation neurons that innervate the lumbosacral glycinergic inhibitory neurons. Therefore, the mechanism of micturition reflex facilitation by the activation of medial frontal lobe neurons involves the rostral pontine reticular formation.
authors.affiliation: Southern Knights' Laboratory LLP, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan. Electronic address: sugaya@sklabo.com.
authors.forename: Kimio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugaya
authors.affiliation: Southern Knights' Laboratory LLP, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishijima
authors.affiliation: Southern Knights' Laboratory LLP, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kadekawa
authors.affiliation: Southern Knights' Laboratory LLP, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ashitomi
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Experiments, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005422:Flavoxate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007267:Injections; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D065821:Pontine Tegmentum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects; D014554:Urination / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010276:Parasympatholytics; D005422:Flavoxate
keywords: brain; flavoxate; neurons; norepinephrine; urinary bladder