Saphenous nerve stimulation normalizes bladder underactivity induced by tibial nerve stimulation in cats

This study in α-chloralose anesthetized cats aimed at investigating the bladder responses to saphenous nerve stimulation (SNS). A urethral catheter was used to infuse the bladder with saline and to record changes in bladder pressure. With the bladder fully distended, SNS at 1 Hz frequency and an intensity slightly below the threshold (T) for inducing an observable motor response of the hindlimb muscles induced large amplitude (40-150 cmH2O) bladder contractions. Application of SNS (1 Hz, 2-4T) during cystometrograms (CMGs), when the bladder was slowly (1-3 ml/min) infused with saline, significantly (p<0.05) increased the duration of the micturition contraction to more than 200% of the control without changing bladder capacity or contraction amplitude. Repeated application (1-8 times) of intense (4-8T intensity) 30-minute tibial nerve stimulation (TNS) produced prolonged post-TNS inhibition that significantly (p<0.01) increased bladder capacity to 135.9±7.6% and decreased the contraction amplitude to 44.1±...