Stimulation of the pelvic nerve increases bladder capacity in the PGE₂ cat model of overactive bladder

Selective electrical stimulation of the pudendal nerve exhibits promise as a potential therapy for treating overactive bladder (OAB) across species (rats, cats, and humans). More recently, pelvic nerve (PelN) stimulation was demonstrated to improve cystometric bladder capacity in a PGE₂ rat model of OAB. However, PelN stimulation in humans or in an animal model that is more closely related to humans has not been explored. Therefore, our objective was to quantify the effects of PGE₂ and PelN stimulation in the cat. Acute cystometry experiments were conducted in 14 α-chloralose-anesthetized adult, neurologically intact female cats. Intravesical PGE₂ decreased bladder capacity, residual volume, threshold contraction pressure, and mean contraction pressure. PelN stimulation reversed the PGE₂-induced decrease in bladder capacity and increased evoked external urethral sphincter electromyographic activity without influencing voiding efficiency. The increases in bladder capacity generated by PelN stimulation were similar in the rat and cat, but the stimulation parameters to achieve this effect differed (threshold amplitude at 10 Hz in the rat vs. twice threshold amplitude at 1 Hz in the cat). These results highlight the potential of PGE₂ as a model of OAB and provide further evidence that PelN stimulation is a promising approach for the treatment of OAB symptoms.