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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 293/3/R1357    most recent 00003.2007v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Julia-Guilloteau, V. Articles by Giuliano, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Julia-Guilloteau, V. Articles by Giuliano, F.

ENVIRONMENTAL, EXERCISE AND RESPIRATORY PHYSIOLOGY

Urethral closure mechanisms during sneezing-induced stress in anesthetized female cats

¹Pelvipharm, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif sur Yvette; ²Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Neuro-Urology-Andrology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Raymond Poincaré Hospital, Garches, University of Versailles Saint Quentin, Unité de Formation et de Recherche Paris Ile de France Ouest; and ³AP-HP, Department of Urology, La Pitié-Salpétrière Hospital, Paris, France

Submitted 4 January 2007 ; accepted in final form 5 July 2007

During stress-induced increase in abdominal pressure, urinary continence is maintained by urethral closure mechanisms. Active urethral response has been studied in dogs and rats. Such an active urethral response is also believed to occur in humans during stress events. We aimed to investigate urethral closure mechanisms during sneezing in cats. Urethral pressures along the urethra (UP1–UP4), with microtip transducer catheters with UP4 positioned in the distal urethra where the external urethral sphincter (EUS) is located, and intravesical pressure were measured, and abdominal wall, anal sphincter (AS), levator ani (LA), and EUS electromyograms (EMGs) were recorded during sneezing under closed-abdomen and open-abdomen conditions in eight anesthetized adult female cats. Proximal and middle urethral response induced by sneezing was not different from bladder response. Distal urethral response was greater compared with proximal and middle urethral and bladder response. In the open-abdomen bladder, proximal and middle urethral responses were similarly decreased and distal urethral response was unchanged compared with the closed-abdomen bladder. Bladder and urethral responses were positively correlated to sneeze strength. EUS, LA, and AS EMGs increased during sneezing. No urine leakage was observed, regardless of the strength of sneeze. In cats urethral closure mechanisms are partly passive in the proximal and middle urethra and involve an active component in the distal urethra that is believed to result from EUS and possibly LA contractions. Because central serotonin exerts similar effects on the lower urinary tract in cats and humans, the cat may represent a relevant model for pharmacological studies on continence mechanisms.

external urethral sphincter; urethra; urinary continence; stress urinary incontinence