Reflex innervation of the bulbocavernosus muscle

Yang, Claire C.; Bradley, William E.

doi:10.1046/j.1464-410x.2000.00560.x

Cited by 43 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 14 publications

(16 reference statements)

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“…With regard to their main functions in erection, ejaculation, and micturition, there seems to be no need for a high level of proprioceptive control of these muscles. However, the detected muscle spindles may be part of (stretch) reflexes, as described previously . The “straining‐cavernosus reflex” is described as IC and BS muscle contraction on straining through increased intra‐abdominal pressure.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Muscle spindles in the human bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus muscles

Peikert

May

2015

Muscle Nerve

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Muscle spindles in the human bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus muscles

Peikert

May

2015

Muscle Nerve

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“…The somatic reflex innervation of the BCM was determined. Three distinct somatic bulbocavernosus reflexes were detected which are components of normal ejaculation (Yang & Bradley, 2000). Wieder et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electromyographic study of ejaculatory mechanism

2009

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Cavernosus muscle (CM), seminal vesicle (SV) and vasal ampullary (VA) contractions at ejaculation are said to be reflex mechanisms (ejaculatory reflex), which have been scarcely dealt with in the literature. We investigated the hypothesis that contraction of the CMs, SVs and VA at ejaculation is a reflex action. The electromyographic (EMG) activity of CM, SV and VA during ejaculation was recorded in 28 healthy men. The test was repeated after separate anaesthetization of the glans penis (GP), CMs, SVs, and VA in the pre-ejaculatory period. Latent ejaculatory time (LET) was calculated. CMs showed no EMG activity until rigid erection phase was reached. SVs and VA exhibited resting EMG activity which increased gradually with different stages of erection. At ejaculation, CMs, SVs and VA showed two to four intermittent contractions. The mean LET was 1.3 +/- 0.2 sec. GP anaesthetization led to the disappearance of CM, SV and VA EMG activity at ejaculation, while bland gel did not affect EMG activity. CMs, SVs and VA when anaesthetized in the pre-ejaculatory period exhibited no EMG activity at ejaculation, while saline did not affect EMG activity. Increased EMG activity of CM, SV and VA apparently denotes increase in their contractile activity. CM, SV and VA contraction on GP stimulation and ejaculation are assumed to be reflex actions and are mediated through the 'glans-cavernosovesicular reflex' (GCVR) which presumably represents the ejaculatory reflex. Changes in LET or evoked response would indicate a defect in the reflex pathway. The GCVR might act as an investigative tool in diagnosing erectile dysfunction, provided further studies are performed in this respect.

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“…Electrical stimulation of the dorsal nerve of the penis (a branch of the SbPN) in multiple species, including humans and rats, triggers rhythmic bursting of the BSM, which mimics ejaculation, suggesting that penile activation alone might trig- ger ejaculation (38,46,48,54,55). However, studies conducted in humans have also shown that direct stimulation of the bulbous and prostatic urethra can trigger reflex BSM-EMG bursting, which is similar to ELRs (42,59).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of bulbospongiosus muscle reflexes activated by urethral distension in male rats

Tanahashi

Venkateswarlu²,

Thor³

et al. 2012

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comp

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The urethrogenital reflex (UGR) is used as a surrogate model of the autonomic and somatic nerve and muscle activity that accompanies ejaculation. The UGR is evoked by distension of the urethra and activation of penile afferents. The current study compares two methods of elevating urethral intraluminal pressure in spinalized, anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 60). The first method, penile extension UGR, involves extracting the penis from the foreskin, so that urethral pressure rises due to a natural anatomical flexure in the penis. The second method, penile clamping UGR, involves penile extension UGR with the addition of clamping of the glans penis. Groups of animals were prepared that either received no additional treatment, surgical shams, or received bilateral nerve cuts (4 nerve cut groups): either the pudendal sensory nerve branch (SbPN), the pelvic nerves, the hypogastric nerves, or all three nerves. Penile clamping UGR was characterized by multiple bursts, monitored by electromyography (EMG) of the bulbospongiosus muscle (BSM) accompanied by elevations in urethral pressure. The penile clamping UGR activity declined across multiple trials and eventually resulted in only a single BSM burst, indicating desensitization. In contrast, the penile extension UGR, without penile clamping, evoked only a single BSM EMG burst that showed no desensitization. Thus, the UGR is composed of two BSM patterns: an initial single burst, termed urethrobulbospongiosus (UBS) reflex and a subsequent multiple bursting pattern (termed ejaculation-like response, ELR) that was only induced with penile clamping urethral occlusion. Transection of the SbPN eliminated the ELR in the penile clamping model, but the single UBS reflex remained in both the clamping and extension models. Pelvic nerve (PelN) transection increased the threshold for inducing BSM activation with both methods of occlusion but actually unmasked an ELR in the penile extension method. Hypogastric nerve (HgN) cuts did not significantly alter any parameter. Transection of all three nerves eliminated BSM activation completely. In conclusion, penile clamping occlusion recruits penile and urethral primary afferent fibers that are necessary for an ELR. Urethral distension without significant penile afferent activation recruits urethral primary afferent fibers carried in either the pelvic or pudendal nerve that are necessary for the single-burst UBS reflex.

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Reflex innervation of the bulbocavernosus muscle

Cited by 43 publications

References 14 publications

Muscle spindles in the human bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus muscles

Muscle spindles in the human bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus muscles

Electromyographic study of ejaculatory mechanism

Characterization of bulbospongiosus muscle reflexes activated by urethral distension in male rats

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