Bladder and urethral responses to sympathetic stimulation.

Bladder and urethral pressure responses were recorded in 47 cats subjected to electrical stimulation of sympathetic fibers isolated at the caudal mesenteric ganglion before and after complete sacral denervation. Recorded responses were complex and seemed to be at least partially dependent on afferent and efferent pelvic nerve activity. Sacral denervation alone did not influence urethral closing pressure but the combination of sacral and hypogastric denervation resulted in a marked loss of urethral sphincter function.