Primary afferent depolarization of cat pudendal afferents during micturition and segmental afferent stimulation.

1. This investigation examined primary afferent depolarization (PAD) of perineal afferents during micturition and evoked by electrical stimulation of perineal, hindlimb cutaneous and muscle-nerves. PAD was inferred from changes in excitability of spinal terminals of single afferents in decerebrate and chloralose-anaesthetized paralysed male cats. Observations were made on perineal afferent fibres travelling in the sensory branch of the pudendal (SPud) and superficial perineal (SPeri) nerves. 2. Micturition was evoked by distension of the bladder and excitability changes were measured in twenty-seven SPud afferents. In ten afferents, there was evidence of PAD during micturition. The time course of PAD was similar to the period of decreased activity in sphincter muscle efferents during micturition. In four afferents, there was decreased excitability during voiding that was interpreted as removal of tonic PAD. In the remaining thirteen afferents there were no detectable changes in excitability. Bladder distension in the absence of micturition failed to change the excitability of any SPud afferents tested. 3. Almost all SPud afferents were subject to PAD upon stimulation of cutaneous nerves. Superficial perineal, long saphenous, caudal cutaneous sural and the predominantly cutaneous posterior tibial nerves were particularly effective in evoking PAD. While group I strength stimulation of hindlimb muscle-nerves produced PAD of some SPud fibres, group II stimulation often increased the magnitude or incidence of PAD. The patterns and magnitude of PAD observed in SPeri afferents were similar to those observed in SPud afferents. 4. Since some SPud afferents were subject to PAD during micturition, PAD is probably one mechanism responsible for suppression of sphincter reflexes during micturition. Additional roles of PAD of perineal afferents evoked by activation of hindlimb cutaneous and muscle afferents are discussed.