Efferent pelvic nerve activity, ganglionic filtering, and the feline bladder

Ganglionic "filtering" may be responsible for muting the parasympathetic drive to the bladder during urine storage. For this process to be significant, there must be activity in preganglionic parasympathetic nerve fibers during continence. In cats, anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, pelvic efferent nerve activity was recorded while the bladder was filled at a physiological rate. In one-half of the animals, there was no nerve activity during continence. Pelvic efferent nerve activity was observed in some animals, particularly in those with larger nonmicturating contractions. In these animals, multiple recordings from different sites in the pelvic plexus failed to provide evidence of ganglionic filtering. Ganglionic modulation of the excitatory motor drive to the bladder could not be observed during the continence process.