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GABAergic control of micturition within the periaqueductal grey matter of the male rat
Author(s) -
Stone E.,
Coote J. H.,
Allard J.,
Lovick T. A.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.202614
Subject(s) - gabaergic , overactive bladder , neurotransmitter , urination , midbrain , neuroscience , medicine , urology , chemistry , endocrinology , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , psychology , central nervous system , urinary system , pathology , alternative medicine
Non‐technical summary Even when the bladder is full, emptying can be deferred voluntarily until individuals find themselves in a socially appropriate environment. This indicates that the brain is important in the control of bladder function. This study used drugs that either mimic or block the effects of the neurotransmitter chemicals involved in communication between nerve cells to investigate the brain nerve circuits that govern the control of the bladder. A small region in the midbrain was shown to be critical for normal bladder emptying to occur. Normally the excitability of the nerve circuits in this region was controlled by the action of an inhibitory neurotransmitter chemical called GABA. However, if GABA's effect was removed, bladder emptying became abnormally frequent. These results advance our understanding of the normal control of bladder function, and have implications for the development of new treatments for some forms of incontinence.