Effects of urinary bladder afferents on respiration

Abstract

The electrical activity of phrenic and recurrent laryngeal motoneurons was recorded during activation of urinary bladder afferents in pentobarbital-anesthetized, paralyzed, artificially ventilated cats. Distension or spontaneous neurogenic contraction of the bladder decreased the amplitude and frequency (bursts/min) of the burst activity in these two nerves. The decrease in frequency was due mainly to a prolongation of the interburst interval (duration of expiration). Similar effects were observed during low-frequency electrical stimulation of pelvic nerve afferents with conduction velocities in the A gamma-A delta range. High-frequency stimulation of pelvic nerve afferents increased the amplitude of the burst activity in these two nerves. These results suggest an action of bladder afferents on the brain stem oscillator controlling respiratory frequency and drive. Some of the excitatory and inhibitory effects of bladder afferents on phrenic motoneurons may be mediated through spinal circuits.

Micturitional Disturbances Are Associated With Impaired Breathing Control in Multiple Sclerosis

“…Second, correlation and multiple regression analyses showed that MIP and pyramidal tract involvement did not emerge as predictors of the responsiveness to hypercapnia and hypoxia; this excludes spinal cord disease as a causative factor for the disturbed breathing control in our MS patients. Last, the fact that the pneumotaxic and micturition cen-ters are anatomically and functionally so closely related 20,22 supports our finding that MS patients with DSD are more prone to disturbances in ventilatory control. DSD can, however, also be caused by spinal lesions of the pyramidal tract, but no correlation was found between the degree of pyramidal tract lesions and the degree of sphincter dysfunction in our patients.…”

Acute changes in bladder volume produce minimal cardio-respiratory responses in lightly anesthetised humans

“…7,9,10 We did not observe any consistent responses in respiration. The discrepancy is probably due to the differences in species and experimental conditions.…”

“…In the absence of block of the afferent pathway, inadequate anesthesia may produce an unstable cardiovascular status when stimuli are applied 2,6 In addition to the cardiovascular reflexes, both spontaneous contraction and passive distension of the bladder may produce inhibition of respiratory motor neurone activity in anesthetized or decerebrate cats. [7][8][9][10] These findings may indicate that changes in bladder volume could produce abnormal breathing during light general anesthesia.…”

“…The vagus nerve may act as 'a buffer' which would blunt the respiratory responses as in the hemodynamic response. 1 6 Decerebration performed in the animal studies, 7,10 may also account for the discrepancy, since it can eliminate the influence of anesthesia, thus augments reflexes. With larger distension volume, we might have consistent responses in respiratory parameters, however, we imposed limits on the distension volume to avoid injury of the bladder due to over distension.…”

A Role of Pulmonary Rapidly Adapting Receptors in Control of Breathing

“…In considering our findings, we should remember that non-vagal afferent influences act on the pattern of breathing. Electrical stimulation of the splanchnic nerve in rabbits (Siegelova, 1976) and cats (Albano and Garnier, 1983) and the more physiological stimulus of urinary bladder distention (Schondorf and Polosa, 1980) inhibited phrenic activity. There is little doubt, however, that vagal afferents are a major determinant of the pattern of breathing in the type of preparation used in the present series of experiments.…”