[A study of the pontine urine storage center in decerebrate cats]

In the present study it was attempted to investigate the urine storage function of the pons in the decerebrate cats. Firstly, the area where an increase in the urethral sphincter EMG activity was induced by electrical microstimulation in the ventrolateral part of the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum was identified. Next, the effect of electrical stimulation and chemical stimulations by carbachol, noradrenaline, enkephalin or GABA on the reflex micturition induced by bladder filling was studied. The sites of electrical and chemical stimulations were anatomically distributed in the nucleus locus subcoeruleus (LSC). The electrical stimulation of the LSC produced increases in the urethral sphincter EMG activity and in bladder capacity. The carbachol, noradrenaline and enkephalin microinjection into the LSC produced an increase in bladder capacity. On the other hand, the GABA injection produced decreases in bladder capacity and urethral sphincter EMG activity. From these results, it can be concluded that neurons in the LSC seem to perform an important role in the storage phase.