Excitation and inhibition of neuronal activity in the pontine micturition center by pelvic rectal and pudendal anal afferents in dogs.

To examine whether or not the pontine micturition center (PMC) is involved in the inhibition of the micturition reflex by pelvic rectal and pudendal anal afferents, neuronal activity in the PMC was observed during inhibition of this reflex in paralyzed decerebrate dogs. Discharge of pelvic vesical branches (VBs) waxed and waned at a rhythm of about 2 Hz during the micturition reflex, which was activated by continuous stimulation of the contralateral VBs. This rhythmic discharge was modulated by continuous stimulation of contralateral pelvic rectal branches (RBs) superimposed on the VB stimulation. The modulation was composed of three effects; initial inhibition, augmentation and late inhibition. However, not all of the three effects were obvious in some dogs. One-sixth of 118 neurons examined in the pontine area ventromedial to the locus ceruleus exhibited rhythmic burst firings which preceded the rhythmic discharge of VBs by about 150 ms. Therefore, these pontine neurons are assumed to be output neurons of the PMC. The rhythmic firings of pontine neurons were augmented during continuous RB stimulation independent of the inhibitory and/or augmentative effects of the RB stimulation on the reflex discharge of the VBs. In contrast, the rhythmic firings of the pontine neurons and the reflex discharge of VBs were inhibited by mechanical stimulation of the anal canal and perineal hairs. These results suggest that the PMC is involved in the inhibition of the micturition reflex produced via pudendal afferents but not in that produced by pelvic rectal afferents, and that pelvic and pudendal afferents project to the PMC through separate pathways.