J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 57(9): 1481-1493, 1956

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STUDIES ON THE AFFERENT PATHWAY OF MICTURITION

The author has attempted to find out peripheral afferents which mediate the sensation of contraction as well as that of distension of the urinary bladder and the results of experiments are reported here.
Fifty-six adult cats were used. Under subcutaneous adminis tration of 1.0-1.5 g urethan per kilo body weight, the rectum was extirpated and laminectomy was performed in the region of the sacrum to isolate the visceral branch of the second sacral dorsal root in cutting off other branches. The left or right second sacral ventral root isolated was cut and its peripheral stump was stimulated electrically by square wave pulse. The impulse discharge following strong contraction of the bladder thus broght forth could be recorded from the visceral branch of second dorsal root of the opposite side.
In case of the bladder contraction following to the pilocarpine injection an analogous spike potential could be recorded from the same dorsal root.
From the first and third sacral dorsal roots, however, spike potential could scarcely be recorded following either to electrical stimulation of the corresponding ventral root or to pilocarpine injection.
In order to distinguish the peripheral route of the impulse discharge caused by the bladder distension, the bladder was filled with 20-30 cc. 0.9% NaCl solution of body temperature and the electrode wainserted into each of the sacral dorsal roots (or rootlets).The spike potential following distension of the bladder, too, was recorded from the dorsal root (or rootlet) of the second sacral segment.
The author estimated the conduction velocity of the visceral afferent fibers in the pelvic nerve to be 8-10 m per second.
(author's abstract)

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