Elsevier

Neuroscience

Volume 120, Issue 3, 1 September 2003, Pages 871-875
Neuroscience

Effects of subthalamic nucleus stimulation on the micturation reflex in cats

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4522(03)00319-1Get rights and content

Abstract

High frequency stimulation (HFS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has been performed to reverse motor dysfunction in severe parkinsonian patients. Recent studies suggested that neural circuitry in the basal ganglia might regulate micturition function as well. In 15 adult male cats under ketamine anesthesia, in which spontaneous isovolumetric micturition reflex had been generated, we performed electrical stimulation and extracellular single unit recording in the STN. Electrical stimulation applied in the STN elicited inhibition of the micturition reflex. None of the responses was facilitatory. Effective amplitude of the electrical stimulation for evoking inhibitory responses was less than 50 μA, which gradually increased and exceeded 250 μA as the location of the stimulation exceeded an area of the STN. Effective frequency of the electrical stimulation with given stimulus intensity was 50 Hz and higher. Total 10 neurons were recorded in the STN that were related to urinary storage/micturition cycles. All neurons were tonically active throughout storage/micturition cycles with storage phase predominance, with almost constant firing activities during the storage phase. In conclusion, our results showed that HFS-STN inhibited the micturition reflex and there were micturition-related neuronal firings in the STN in cats, suggesting the STN may be involved in neural control of micturition. The results also provide an implication that clinical HFS-STN may alter urinary function in parkinsonian patients.

Section snippets

Experimental procedures

Experiments were done on 15 adult male cats (3.2–4.0 kg) under anesthesia with ketamine (initial injection of 20 mg/kg i.m., maintained injections of 5 mg/kg when necessary with regard to blood pressure). The trachea was intubated and catheters were placed in the femoral artery to monitor blood pressure and in the femoral vein for drug administration. A double-lumen urinary catheter was inserted into the bladder transurethrally to measure bladder pressure and to regulate bladder volume.

Electrical stimulation in the STN

Electrical stimulation applied in the STN elicited termination and succeeding inhibition of the micturition reflex, most of which comprised bladder relaxation and sphincter contraction in a synergistic manner (positive responses, n=72). The typical response of bladder pressure and sphincter EMG to the electrical stimulation is seen in Fig. 1, and the anatomical location of the stimulations is shown in Fig. 2. None of the responses was facilitatory in the STN. Threshold of the amplitude of the

Discussion

Since the basal ganglia is thought to have major inhibitory influence on the micturition reflex Albanese et al., 1988, de Groat et al., 1993, Yoshimura et al., 1992, HFS of the STN may potentially alter the micturition function, although there is no neurophysiological data available to our knowledge. This is the first report to show evidence that electrical stimulation of the STN inhibited the isovolumetric spontaneous micturition reflexes in ketamine-anaesthetized cats. Behavioural effects

Conclusion

The results of the present study showed that HFS-STN inhibited the micturition reflex and there were micturition-related neuronal firings in the STN in cats, suggesting the STN may be involved in neural control of micturition.

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