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Chaouche N, Delpierre Y, Chinier E, Soler JM, Hadiji N. Sexual disorders post-stroke: Description of a cohort of patients followed in rehabilitation. THE FRENCH JOURNAL OF UROLOGY 2024; 34:102568. [PMID: 38350285 DOI: 10.1016/j.fjurol.2024.102568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The impairments resulting from a stroke can be multiple, including urinary and/or sexual dysfunctions. This acquired brain injury disrupts neurological control of sexual responses. MAIN OBJECTIVE to describe sexual disorders, after a first episode of stroke, in a population followed in a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) center. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES to gather patients' expectations and PMR physicians' opinions on this subject. METHOD Observational, retrospective study in two PRM centers. Post-stroke sexuality was assessed using two validated questionnaires [for men: International Index of Erectile Function 15 (IIEF15) and for women: Female Sexual function Index (FSFI)]. Patients were asked 3 questions to approximate their expectations, and PRM physicians were asked 2 questions for their opinions. RESULTS Twenty-four subjects included (17 men/7 women). Thirteen had no post-stroke sexuality. Erectile function was analysable in 4 subjects, 3 of whom had moderate to severe erectile dysfunction. In women, female sexual dysfunction concerned 6/7 women, including lubrication. Ninety-six percent of subjects had never discussed sexuality with their PRM physician. Only 33% would have liked information on this subject. Our PRM physicians rarely discuss post-stroke sexual disability. CONCLUSION Post-stroke sexual disorders occur in both sexes. All areas of sexuality may be affected. A large-scale, prospective, controlled, multicenter study is needed to establish stroke as the direct neurological cause of sexual impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Chaouche
- Service des lésions cérébrales, Centre de rééducation fonctionnelle des Capucins, CHU d'Angers, 49000 Angers, France; Services des lésions cérébrales-neuro-uro-sexologie, Centre de rééducation fonctionnelle de l'Arche, 72650 Saint-Saturnin-Le Mans, France
| | - Y Delpierre
- Unité d'analyse du mouvement, Centre de rééducation fonctionnelle de l'Arche, 72650 Saint-Saturnin-Le Mans, France
| | - E Chinier
- Service des lésions cérébrales, Centre de rééducation fonctionnelle des Capucins, CHU d'Angers, 49000 Angers, France
| | - J M Soler
- Laboratoire de neuro-urologie et de sexologie, Centre Bouffard-Vercelli, 66000 Perpignan, France
| | - N Hadiji
- Services des lésions cérébrales-neuro-uro-sexologie, Centre de rééducation fonctionnelle de l'Arche, 72650 Saint-Saturnin-Le Mans, France.
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Phung T, Ramzan F, Monks DA. Hormone-dependent sexual responses of female mice in response to manual genital stimulation. Horm Behav 2023; 151:105338. [PMID: 36868148 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Although copulatory behavior is thought to have a strong innate basis in mice, there is also clear evidence that sexual experience shapes its expression. Reinforcement of behavior through rewarding genital tactile stimulation is a primary candidate mechanism for this modification. In rats, manual tactile clitoral stimulation is rewarding only when it is temporally distributed, which is hypothesized to result from an innate preference for species-typical copulatory patterning. Here we test this hypothesis using mice, which have a temporal copulatory pattern which is distinctly less temporally distributed than that of rats. Female mice received manual clitoral stimulation which was either temporally continuous every second, or stimulation which was temporally distributed, occurring every 5 s, This pattern of stimulation was paired with environmental cues in a conditioned place preference apparatus to assess reward. Neural activation in response to this stimulation was evaluated by measuring FOS immunoreactivity. Results indicated that both temporal patterns of clitoral stimulation were rewarding, but that continuous stimulation better reproduced brain activation associated with sexual reward. Furthermore, continuous, but not distributed stimulation elicited a lordosis response in some females, and this response increased within and across days. Sexual reward, neural activation and lordosis resulting from tactile genital stimulation were eliminated by ovariectomy and restored with combined 17β-estradiol and progesterone treatment but not 17β-estradiol treatment alone. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that sexual reward resulting from species-typical genital tactile stimulation has a permissive effect on copulatory behavior of female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh Phung
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Firyal Ramzan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - D Ashley Monks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Canada.
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Fortino TA, Randelman ML, Hall AA, Singh J, Bloom DC, Engel E, Hoh DJ, Hou S, Zholudeva LV, Lane MA. Transneuronal tracing to map connectivity in injured and transplanted spinal networks. Exp Neurol 2022; 351:113990. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.113990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW In this review, we summarize recent advances in the understanding of the neural control of the bladder, bowel and sexual function, in both men and women. RECENT FINDINGS Evidence of supraspinal areas controlling the storage of urine and micturition in animals, such as the pontine micturition centre, emerged in the early 20th century. Neurological stimulation and lesion studies in humans provided additional indirect evidence for additional bladder-related brain areas. Thereafter, functional neuroimaging in humans with PET and fMRI provided more direct evidence of the involvement of these brain areas. The areas involved in the storage and expulsion of urine also seem to be involved in the central control of storage and expulsion of feces. Furthermore, most knowledge on the brain control of sexual function is obtained from dynamic imaging in human volunteers. Relatively little is known about the dysfunctional central circuits in patients with pelvic organ dysfunction. SUMMARY fMRI has been the most widely used functional neuroimaging technique in the last decade to study the central control of bladder function, anorectal function and sexual function. The studies described in this review show which sensory and motor areas are involved, including cortical and subcortical areas. We propose the existence of a switch-like phenomenon located in the pons controlling micturition, defecation and orgasm.
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Gerson CA, Mac Cionnaith CE, Quintana GR, Pfaus JG. Effects of ovarian hormones on the emission of 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations during distributed clitoral stimulation in the rat. Horm Behav 2019; 109:1-9. [PMID: 30690029 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Fifty-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are emitted by adult rats during appetitive phases of behavior in response to stimuli thought to be associated with a positive affective state. In particular, 50-kHz USVs with rapid frequency oscillations, known as trills and flat-trills, in which these oscillations are flanked by a monotonic portion, are together positively correlated with appetitive behaviors such as rough and tumble play, drug and natural reward, and mating. Female rats produce 50-kHz USVs during a variety of sexual contexts, yet data are still vague as female sexual behavior is seldom studied on its own. Distributed clitoral stimulation (CLS) offers a unique approach to investigating female 50-kHz USVs as it mimics stimulation received during mating. Although CLS induces a sexual reward state, it is unknown whether CLS elicits trills and flat-trills. We addressed this question using eight ovariectomized rats, we investigated whether ovarian hormones augmented these call subtypes in response to CLS. The combined and separate effects of estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P), and oil vehicle were assessed through comparison of these call subtypes between CLS and inter-CLS interval. We found that CLS with EB + P significantly increased call duration and rate, lowered peak frequency, and widened the bandwidth of trills. Flat-trills showed a similar pattern except for call duration. Call distribution during the CLS and inter-CLS interval suggest that trill and flat-trills may be indicative of both anticipatory and sexual reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine A Gerson
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Conall E Mac Cionnaith
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gonzalo Renato Quintana
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - James G Pfaus
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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Fuentes IM, Christianson JA. The Influence of Early Life Experience on Visceral Pain. Front Syst Neurosci 2018; 12:2. [PMID: 29434541 PMCID: PMC5790786 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2018.00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain is the most reported and troublesome symptom of nearly all functional disorders affecting the genitourinary and gastrointestinal organs. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS), vulvodynia, and/or chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS; collectively termed chronic pelvic pain syndromes) report pain severe enough to impact quality of life and often suffer from symptoms of or are diagnosed with more than one of these syndromes. This increased comorbidity between chronic pelvic pain syndromes, and with pain disorders of disparate body regions, as well as with mood disorders, can be influenced by disruptions in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates the response to stress and influences the perception of pain. Experiencing trauma, neglect, or abuse in early life can permanently affect the functioning of the HPA axis. As such, a significant proportion of patients suffering from comorbid chronic pelvic pain syndromes report a history of early life stress or trauma. Here we will report on how these early life experiences influence chronic pelvic pain in patients. We will also discuss various rodent models that have been developed to study this phenomenon to understand the mechanisms underlying HPA axis dysfunction, as well as potential underlying mechanisms connecting these syndromes to one another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella M Fuentes
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States
| | - Julie A Christianson
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States
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Cruz Y, Lucio RA, Palacios JL. Neural and Endocrine Factors Contribute to the Comorbidity of Urinary and Sexual Dysfunctions. CURRENT SEXUAL HEALTH REPORTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11930-017-0129-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Kim JH, Shim SR, Doo SW, Yang WJ, Yoo BW, Kim JM, Ko YM, Song ES, Lim IS, Lee HJ, Song YS. Bladder recovery by stem cell based cell therapy in the bladder dysfunction induced by spinal cord injury: systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0113491. [PMID: 25781610 PMCID: PMC4363872 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bladder dysfunction induced by spinal cord injury (SCI) can become problematic and severely impair the quality of life. Preclinical studies of spinal cord injury have largely focused on the recovery of limb function while neglecting to investigate bladder recovery. OBJECTIVE The present study was performed to investigate and review the effect of stem cell-based cell therapy on bladder recovery in SCI. METHODS We conducted a meta-analysis of urodynamic findings of experimental trials that included studies of stem cell-based cell therapy in SCI. Relevant studies were searched using MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library (January 1990 - December 2012). Final inclusion was determined by a urodynamic study involving detailed numerical values. Urodynamic parameters for analysis included voiding pressure, residual urine, bladder capacity and non-voiding contraction (NVC). Meta-analysis of the data, including findings from urodynamic studies, was performed using the Mantel-Haenszel method. RESULTS A total of eight studies were included with a sample size of 224 subjects. The studies were divided into different subgroups by different models of SCI. After a stem cell-based cell therapy, voiding pressure (-6.35, p <0.00001, I2 = 77%), NVC (-3.58, p <0.00001, I2 = 82%), residual urine (-024, p = 0.004, I2 = 95%) showed overall significant improvement. Bladder capacity showed improvement after treatment only in the transection type (-0.23, p = 0.0002, I2 = 0%). CONCLUSION After stem cell-based cell therapy in SCI, partial bladder recovery including improvement of voiding pressure, NVC, and residual urine was demonstrated. Additional studies are needed to confirm the detailed mechanism and to obtain an ideal treatment strategy for bladder recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Heon Kim
- Department of Urology, Soonchunyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung Ryul Shim
- Institute for clinical molecular biology research, Soonchunyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung Whan Doo
- Department of Urology, Soonchunyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Won Jae Yang
- Department of Urology, Soonchunyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Byung Wook Yoo
- Department of Family Medicine, Soonchunhyang University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joyce Mary Kim
- International Clinic Center, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Myoung Ko
- Department of Industrial and Management Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Korea
| | - Eun Seop Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
| | - Ik Sung Lim
- Department of Industrial Management and Engineering, Namseoul University College of Engineering, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Hong Jun Lee
- Medical Research Institute, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- * E-mail: (HJL); (YSS)
| | - Yun Seob Song
- Department of Urology, Soonchunyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- * E-mail: (HJL); (YSS)
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Veening JG, de Jong TR, Waldinger MD, Korte SM, Olivier B. The role of oxytocin in male and female reproductive behavior. Eur J Pharmacol 2014; 753:209-28. [PMID: 25088178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Revised: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a nonapeptide with an impressive variety of physiological functions. Among them, the 'prosocial' effects have been discussed in several recent reviews, but the direct effects on male and female sexual behavior did receive much less attention so far. As our contribution to honor the lifelong interest of Berend Olivier in the control mechanisms of sexual behavior, we decided to explore the role of OT in the present review. In the successive sections, some physiological mechanisms and the 'pair-bonding' effects of OT will be discussed, followed by sections about desire, female appetitive and copulatory behavior, including lordosis and orgasm. At the male side, the effects on erection and ejaculation are reviewed, followed by a section about 'premature ejaculation' and a possible role of OT in its treatment. In addition to OT, serotonin receives some attention as one of the main mechanisms controlling the effects of OT. In the succeeding sections, the importance of OT for 'the fruits of labor' is discussed, as it plays an important role in both maternal and paternal behavior. Finally, we pay attention to an intriguing brain area, the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMHvl), apparently functioning in both sexual and aggressive behavior, which are at first view completely opposite behavioral systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Veening
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Anatomy, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - T R de Jong
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - M D Waldinger
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - S M Korte
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - B Olivier
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Neural mechanisms of female sexual behavior in the rat; comparison with male ejaculatory control. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2014; 121:16-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Revised: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Wood SK, McFadden K, Griffin T, Wolfe JH, Zderic S, Valentino RJ. A corticotropin-releasing factor receptor antagonist improves urodynamic dysfunction produced by social stress or partial bladder outlet obstruction in male rats. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2013; 304:R940-50. [PMID: 23552576 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00257.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Barrington's nucleus, in the pons, regulates micturition through spinal projections to preganglionic parasympathetic neurons. The stress neuropeptide CRF is prominent in these projections and has an inhibitory influence. Social stress in rats causes urinary retention and abnormal urodynamics resembling those produced by partial bladder outlet obstruction (pBOO), and this is associated with CRF upregulation in Barrington's nucleus. Here, we examined the role of CRF in social stress- and pBOO-induced urodynamic dysfunction by assessing the ability of a CRF₁ receptor antagonist to alter these effects. Male rats exposed to repeated resident-intruder stress were administered vehicle or a CRF₁ antagonist (NBI-30775) daily prior to the stress. Urodynamic function was recorded in the unanesthetized state 72 h after the final stress. NBI-30775 prevented the increased intermicturition interval, micturition volume, and bladder capacity produced by social stress, but not the increase in CRF expression in Barrington's nucleus neurons. The urinary dysfunction was also partly prevented by shRNA targeting of CRF in Barrington's nucleus, suggesting that stress-induced urinary dysfunction results, in part, from CRF upregulation in Barrington's nucleus and enhanced postsynaptic effects in the spinal cord. Finally, NBI-30775 improved urodynamic function of rats that had pBOO of 2-wk duration when administered daily during the second week but did not block the increase in CRF expression in Barrington's nucleus neurons. These findings implicate a role for Barrington's nucleus CRF in stress- and pBOO-induced urodynamic changes and suggest that CRF₁ antagonists may be useful therapeutic agents for the treatment of urinary dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan K Wood
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Chen CY, Chern RS, Liao MH, Chang YH, Hsu JYC, Chien CH. The Possible Neuronal Mechanism of Acupuncture: Morphological Evidence of the Neuronal Connection between Groin A-Shi Point and Uterus. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2013; 2013:429186. [PMID: 23533481 PMCID: PMC3603327 DOI: 10.1155/2013/429186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2012] [Accepted: 01/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Somatovisceral reflex suggested that the somatic stimulation could affect visceral function like acupuncture which treats diseases by stimulating acupoints. The neuronal connection between somatic point and visceral organ was not clear. Uterine pain referred to the groin region has long been recognized clinically. Wesselmann, using neurogenic plasma extravasation method, showed that uterine pain was referred to the groin region through a neuronal mechanism (Wesselmann and Lai 1997). This connection could be considered through the somatovisceral reflex pathway. However, the relay center of this pathway is still not clearly identified. In the present study, bee venom was injected in the groin region to induce central Fos expression to map the sensory innervation of groin region. Pseudorabies virus (PrV), a transneuronal tracer, was injected in the uterus to identify the higher motor control of the uterus. Immunohistochemistry staining revealed the Fos expression and PrV-infected double-labeled neurons in the nucleus of solitary tract (NTS), the dorsal motor nucleus of vagus (DMX), and the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN). These results suggest a somatoparasympathetic neuronal connection (groin-spinal dorsal horn-NTS/DMX-uterus) and a somatosympathetic neuronal connection (groin-spinal dorsal horn-NTS-PVN-uterus). These two neuronal connections could be the prerequisites to the neuronal basis of the somatovisceral reflex and also the neuronal mechanism of acupuncture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yen Chen
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Rey-Shyong Chern
- Graduate Institute and Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, 1, Shuefu Road, Neipu, Pingtung 912, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Huei Liao
- Graduate Institute and Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, 1, Shuefu Road, Neipu, Pingtung 912, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Hsien Chang
- Graduate Institute of Chinese Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Yu C. Hsu
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Hsien Chien
- Graduate Institute and Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, 1, Shuefu Road, Neipu, Pingtung 912, Taiwan
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Georgiadis JR, Kringelbach ML, Pfaus JG. Sex for fun: a synthesis of human and animal neurobiology. Nat Rev Urol 2012; 9:486-98. [PMID: 22926422 DOI: 10.1038/nrurol.2012.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Sex is a fundamental pleasure, and crucial to the survival of our species. Though not many people would disagree with the proposition that sexual behaviour depends on the brain, the neuroscientific study of human sex is still relatively taboo and much remains to be discovered. On the contrary, excellent experimental animal models (mostly rat) are available that have uncovered major behavioural, neurochemical, and neuroanatomical characteristics of sexual behaviour. Restructuring sexual behaviour into broader terms reflecting behavioural states (wanting, liking, and inhibition) facilitates species comparison, revealing many similarities between animal and human sexual pleasure cycles, some of which can serve as potential avenues of new human sex research. In particular, behavioural and brain evidence clearly shows that motivational and consummatory phases are fundamentally distinct, and that genitally-induced sexual reward is a major factor in sexual learning mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janniko R Georgiadis
- Department of Neuroscience (Section Anatomy), University Medical Centre Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Intravenously transplanted bone marrow stromal cells promote recovery of lower urinary tract function in rats with complete spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord 2011; 50:202-7. [PMID: 22124344 DOI: 10.1038/sc.2011.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There is increasing evidence that intravenously injected neural progenitor cells promote recovery of bladder function in rodents, following contusive spinal cord injury through migrating into the injured spinal cord tissue and differentiating into central nervous system cells. The present study was aimed to clarify whether intravenously transplanted bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) could improve lower urinary tract (LUT) function in rats with spinal cord transection (SCT). METHODS A total of 22 rats underwent experimentation in three groups, including group 1-sham operation, group 2 (BMSC)-SCT plus BrdU (5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine) labeled BMSCs transplantation at day 9 after SCT, group 3-SCT control. All rats were investigated urodynamically on day 28 after transplantation. RESULTS BMSCs identified by BrdU immunohistochemistry survived in the injured spinal cord and lumbar level 3-4 (L(3-4)). Voiding pressure, episodes of non-voiding contractions and residual urine volumes were significantly decreased in BMSC rats, compared with the controls. Bladder capacity was similar in both groups. In four out of eight BMSC rats and one out of seven controls, the tonic and bursting external urethral sphincter electromyographic activity were detected during cystometry. Silent periods during bursting were shorter and activity periods were longer in BMSC rats compared with sham rats. CONCLUSION Intravenously transplanted BMSCs survived in the L(3-4) and had beneficial effects on the recovery of LUT function in the rats after SCT.
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Abstract
The coordination of pelvic visceral activity with appropriate elimination behaviors is a complex task that requires reciprocal communication between the brain and pelvic organs. Barrington's nucleus, located in the pons, is central to a circuit involved in this function. Barrington's nucleus neurons project to both pelvic visceral motorneurons and cerebral norepinephrine neurons that modulate behavior. This circuit coordinates the descending limb of the micturition reflex with a central limb that initiates arousal and shifts the focus of attention to facilitate elimination behavior. The same circuitry that links the bladder and brain enables pathological processes in one target of the circuit to be expressed in the other. Urological disorders can, therefore, have cognitive and behavioral consequences by affecting components of this circuit; and in the opposing direction, psychosocial stressors can produce voiding dysfunctions and bladder pathology. The stress-related neuropeptide, corticotropin-releasing factor, which is prominent in Barrington's nucleus neurons, is a potential mediator of these effects.
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Gelez H, Poirier S, Facchinetti P, Allers KA, Wayman C, Bernabé J, Alexandre L, Giuliano F. Neuroanatomical distribution of the melanocortin-4 receptors in male and female rodent brain. J Chem Neuroanat 2010; 40:310-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2010.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2010] [Revised: 09/16/2010] [Accepted: 09/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Giuliano F, Pfaus J, Balasubramanian S, Hedlund P, Hisasue SI, Marson L, Wallen K. Experimental Models for the Study of Female and Male Sexual Function. J Sex Med 2010; 7:2970-95. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01960.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Gelez H, Poirier S, Facchinetti P, Allers KA, Wayman C, Alexandre L, Giuliano F. Neuroanatomical Evidence for a Role of Central Melanocortin-4 Receptors and Oxytocin in the Efferent Control of the Rodent Clitoris and Vagina. J Sex Med 2010; 7:2056-2067. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01760.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Hahn JD, Swanson LW. Distinct patterns of neuronal inputs and outputs of the juxtaparaventricular and suprafornical regions of the lateral hypothalamic area in the male rat. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 64:14-103. [PMID: 20170674 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2010.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Revised: 02/09/2010] [Accepted: 02/10/2010] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
We have analyzed at high resolution the neuroanatomical connections of the juxtaparaventricular region of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHAjp); as a control and in comparison to this, we also performed a preliminary analysis of a nearby LHA region that is dorsal to the fornix, namely the LHA suprafornical region (LHAs). The connections of these LHA regions were revealed with a coinjection tract-tracing technique involving a retrograde (cholera toxin B subunit) and anterograde (Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin) tracer. The LHAjp and LHAs together connect with almost every major division of the cerebrum and cerebrospinal trunk, but their connection profiles are markedly different and distinct. In simple terms, the connections of the LHAjp indicate a possible primary role in the modulation of defensive behavior; for the LHAs, a role in the modulation of ingestive behavior is suggested. However, the relation of the LHAjp and LHAs to potential modulation of these behaviors, as indicated by their neuroanatomical connections, appears to be highly integrative as it includes each of the major functional divisions of the nervous system that together determine behavior, i.e., cognitive, state, sensory, and motor. Furthermore, although a primary role is indicated for each region with respect to a particular mode of behavior, intermode modulation of behavior is also indicated. In summary, the extrinsic connections of the LHAjp and LHAs (so far as we have described them) suggest that these regions have a profoundly integrative role in which they may participate in the orchestrated modulation of elaborate behavioral repertoires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel D Hahn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2520, USA.
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Parada M, Chamas L, Censi S, Coria-Avila G, Pfaus JG. Clitoral stimulation induces conditioned place preference and Fos activation in the rat. Horm Behav 2010; 57:112-8. [PMID: 19520080 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2009] [Revised: 05/27/2009] [Accepted: 05/28/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The present study examined the ability of clitoral stimulation (CLS) to induce conditioned place preference (CPP) and Fos protein in the brain. Ovariectomized, hormone-primed Long-Evans rats were randomly assigned to receive either distributed CLS (1 stimulation every 5 s for 1 min prior to being placed in one distinctive side of a nonbiased CPP box for 2 min, after which the cycle of stimulation and CPP exposure were repeated for 4 more cycles, totaling 60 stimulations) or continuous CLS (1 stimulation per second for 1 min with 2 min in one side of the CPP box, repeated for 4 more cycles, totaling 300 stimulations). Two days later, females were placed into the other side of the CPP box without prior stimulation. CPP was tested after 5 sequential exposures each of CLS and no stimulation. Females given distributed stimulation developed a significant CPP whereas females given continuous stimulation did not. CLS induced Fos in hypothalamic and limbic structures, including the nucleus accumbens, piriform cortex, arcuate nucleus, and dorsomedial portion of the ventromedial hypothalamus, compared to no stimulation. However, distributed CLS induced more Fos in the medial preoptic area than continuous CLS or no stimulation. In contrast, continuous CLS induced more Fos in the posteroventral medial amygdala compared to no stimulation. These data indicate that CLS induces a reward state in the rat and a pattern of Fos activation in regions of the brain that process genitosensory input, incentive salience, and reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayte Parada
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC Canada.
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Georgiadis JR, Reinders AATS, Paans AMJ, Renken R, Kortekaas R. Men versus women on sexual brain function: prominent differences during tactile genital stimulation, but not during orgasm. Hum Brain Mapp 2009; 30:3089-101. [PMID: 19219848 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological differences in male and female sexuality are obvious in the behavioral domain, but the central mechanisms that might explain these behavioral gender differences remain unclear. In this study, we merged two earlier positron emission tomography data sets to enable systematic comparison of the brain responses in heterosexual men and women during sexual tactile genital (penile and clitoral) stimulation and during orgasm. Gender commonalities were most evident during orgasm, a phase which demonstrated activations in the anterior lobe of the cerebellar vermis and deep cerebellar nuclei, and deactivations in the left ventromedial and orbitofrontal cortex in both men and women. During tactile genital stimulation, deactivations in the right amygdala and left fusiform gyrus were found for both genders. Marked gender differences were seen during this phase: left fronto-parietal areas (motor cortices, somatosensory area 2 and posterior parietal cortex) were activated more in women, whereas in men, the right claustrum and ventral occipitotemporal cortex showed larger activation. The only prominent gender difference during orgasm was male-biased activation of the periaqueductal gray matter. From these results, we conclude that during the sexual act, differential brain responses across genders are principally related to the stimulatory (plateau) phase and not to the orgasmic phase itself. These results add to a better understanding of the neural underpinnings of human sexuality, which might benefit treatment of psychosexual disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janniko R Georgiadis
- Department of Neurosciences, Section Anatomy, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Neurologic and neuroendocrinologic responses during orgasm: What do we know? CURRENT SEXUAL HEALTH REPORTS 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s11930-008-0025-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Normandin JJ, Murphy AZ. Nucleus paragigantocellularis afferents in male and female rats: organization, gonadal steroid receptor expression, and activation during sexual behavior. J Comp Neurol 2008; 508:771-94. [PMID: 18393295 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The supraspinal regulation of genital reflexes is poorly understood. The brainstem nucleus paragigantocellularis (nPGi) of rats is a well-established source of tonic inhibition of genital reflexes. However, the organization, gonadal steroid receptor expression, and activity of nPGi afferents during sex have not been fully characterized in male and female rats. To delineate the anatomical and physiological organization of nPGi afferents, the retrograde tracer Fluoro-Gold (FG) was injected into the nPGi of sexually experienced male and female rats. Animals engaged in sexual behavior 1 hour before sacrifice. Cells containing FG, estrogen receptor-alpha (ER(alpha)), androgen receptor (AR), and the immediate-early gene product Fos were identified immunocytochemically. Retrograde labeling from the nPGi was prominent in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular nucleus (PVN), posterior hypothalamus, precommissural nucleus, deep mesencephalic nucleus, and periaqueductal gray (PAG) of both sexes. Sex differences were observed in the caudal medial preoptic area (MPO), with significantly more FG+ cells observed in males, and in the PAG and inferior colliculus, where significantly more FG+ cells were observed in females. The majority of regions that contained FG+ cells also contained ER(alpha) or AR, indicating sensitivity to gonadal steroids. The proportions of FG+ cells that co-localized with sex-induced Fos was high in the PVN of both sexes and high in the MPO of males but low in the PAG of both sexes despite the large number of PAG-nPGi output neurons and Fos+ cells in both sexes. The characterization of these afferents will lead to a further understanding of the neural regulation of genital reflexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Normandin
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA
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Spinal neurons activated in response to pudendal or pelvic nerve stimulation in female rats. Brain Res 2008; 1197:106-14. [PMID: 18242588 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2007.12.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2007] [Revised: 12/18/2007] [Accepted: 12/27/2007] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The overlapping distribution of spinal neurons activated with either pudendal sensory nerve or pelvic nerve stimulation was examined in the female rat using c-fos immunohistochemistry. Pudendal sensory nerve stimulation resulted in a significant increase in fos-positive cells in the ipsilateral dorsal horn and bilaterally in the medial, lateral and intermediate gray of L5-S1. Pelvic nerve stimulation resulted in significant increases of c-fos immunoreactive nuclei in the ipsilateral dorsal horn, lateral and intermediate gray and bilaterally in the medial gray of L5-S1. Co-distribution of fos immunoreactive nuclei with the vesicular glutamate transporters (VGlut2 and VGlut3) and neurokinin I receptors were found in distinct regions of the dorsal horn, medial and lateral gray. Specific areas in the medial dorsal horn, dorsal gray commissure, laminae VI and X and dorsal lateral gray were activated after stimulation of the pudendal sensory and pelvic nerves, suggesting these areas contain spinal neurons that receive both somatomotor and visceral inputs and are part of the intraspinal circuit that regulates sexual and voiding function.
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Abstract
The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) and ventromedial medulla (VMM) are generally viewed as the core of an endogenous descending modulatory system. However, available data demonstrate that PAG and VMM do not specifically target nociceptive transmission and that activation of either structure affects numerous homeostatic physiological processes. Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is a useful tracer that is retrogradely and transynaptically transported. PRV injections into homeostatic effector organs invariably label VMM neurons, both serotonergic and nonserotonergic. Studies in anesthetized rats have implicated two types of nonserotonergic VMM neurons in nociceptive modulation: ON cells are thought to facilitate nociception and OFF cells to inhibit nociception. Yet, in the unanesthetized animal, the discharge of VMM neurons changes in response to innocuous stimuli and during situations unrelated to nociception. In particular, VMM cells appear to modulate the timing of micturition, with ON cells promoting the initiation of voiding and OFF cells promoting urine storage. VMM cells also modulate sensory transmission. During both micturition and sleep, OFF cells discharge and sensory responsiveness is depressed. In sum, the VMM is hypothesized to modulate spinal sensory, autonomic, and motor circuits in order to maintain homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peggy Mason
- Department of Neurobiology, Pharmacology & Physiology and Committee on Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
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Giraldi A, Marson L, Nappi R, Pfaus J, Traish AM, Vardi Y, Goldstein I. Physiology of female sexual function: animal models. J Sex Med 2006; 1:237-53. [PMID: 16422954 DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.04037.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Data concerning the physiology of desire, arousal, and orgasm in women are limited because of ethical constraints. Aim. To gain knowledge of physiology of female sexual function through animal models. METHODS To provide state-of-the-art knowledge concerning female sexual function in animal models, representing the opinions of seven experts from five countries developed in a consensus process over a 2-year period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Expert opinion was based on the grading of evidence-based medical literature, widespread internal committee discussion, public presentation, and debate. RESULTS Sexual desire may be considered as the presence of desire for, and fantasy about, sexual activity. Desire in animals can be inferred from certain appetitive behaviors that occur during copulation and from certain unconditioned copulatory measures. Proceptive behaviors are dependent in part on estrogen, progesterone, and drugs that bind to D1 dopamine receptors, adrenergic receptors, oxytocin receptors, opioid receptors, or gamma-amino butyric acid receptors. Peripheral arousal states are dependent on regulation of genital smooth muscle tone. Multiple neurotransmitters/mediators are involved including adrenergic, and nonadrenergic, noncholinergic agents such as vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, nitric oxide, neuropeptide Y, calcitonin gene-related peptide, and substance P. Sex steroid hormones, estrogens and androgens, are critical for structure and function of genital tissues including modulation of genital blood flow, lubrication, neurotransmitter function, smooth muscle contractility, mucification, and sex steroid receptor expression in genital tissues. Orgasm may be investigated by urethrogenital (UG) reflex, in which genital stimulation results in rhythmic contractions of striated perineal muscles and contractions of vagina, anus, and uterine smooth muscle. The UG reflex is generated by a multisegmental spinal pattern generator involving the coordination of sympathetic, parasympathetic, and somatic efferents innervating the genital organs. Serotonin and dopamine may modulate UG reflex activity. CONCLUSIONS More research is needed in animal models in the physiology of female sexual function.
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Marson L, Murphy AZ. Identification of neural circuits involved in female genital responses in the rat: a dual virus and anterograde tracing study. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2006; 291:R419-28. [PMID: 16914428 PMCID: PMC2836019 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00864.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The spinal and peripheral innervation of the clitoris and vagina are fairly well understood. However, little is known regarding supraspinal control of these pelvic structures. The multisynaptic tracer pseudorabies virus (PRV) was used to map the brain neurons that innervate the clitoris and vagina. To delineate forebrain input on PRV-labeled cells, the anterograde tracer biotinylated dextran amine was injected in the medial preoptic area (MPO), ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN), or the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) 10 days before viral injections. These brain regions have been intimately linked to various aspects of female reproductive behavior. After viral injections (4 days) in the vagina and clitoris, PRV-labeled cells were observed in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), Barrington's nucleus, the A5 region, and the nucleus paragigantocellularis (nPGi). At 5 days postviral administration, additional PRV-labeled cells were observed within the preoptic region, VMN, PAG, and lateral hypothalamus. Anterograde labeling from the MPO terminated among PRV-positive cells primarily within the dorsal PVN of the hypothalamus, ventrolateral VMN (VMNvl), caudal PAG, and nPGi. Anterograde labeling from the VMN terminated among PRV-positive cells in the MPO and lateral/ventrolateral PAG. Anterograde labeling from the PAG terminated among PRV-positive cells in the PVN, ventral hypothalamus, and nPGi. Transynaptically labeled cells in the lateral hypothalamus, Barrington's nucleus, and ventromedial medulla received innervation from all three sources. These studies, together, identify several central nervous system (CNS) sites participating in the neural control of female sexual responses. They also provide the first data demonstrating a link between the MPO, VMNvl, and PAG and CNS regions innervating the clitoris and vagina, providing support that these areas play a major role in female genital responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Marson
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Stafford SA, Tang K, Coote JH. Sympathetic genital responses induced by p-chloroamphetamine in anaesthetized female rats. Neuroscience 2006; 138:725-32. [PMID: 16448779 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.11.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2005] [Revised: 11/08/2005] [Accepted: 11/09/2005] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In urethane-anesthetized female rats, a branch of the hypogastric nerve equivalent to the vas deferens nerve in males was shown anatomically and electrophysiologically to supply the uterine horns and we have consequently termed this the uterine nerve. Administration of p-chloroamphetamine i.v. elicited patterned bursting uterine nerve activity responses together with contractions of the uterine horns and musculature of the vaginal wall. These responses are qualitatively similar to ejaculatory responses observed following p-chloroamphetamine administration to anesthetized male rats and the urethrogenital reflex in females, suggesting they represent responses occurring during sexual processes. This response to p-chloroamphetamine was still present after complete transection of the spinal cord at T8. These data indicate that common neurophysiological and pharmacological mechanisms regulate genital reflexes at the lumbosacral spinal level in both the female and the male rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Stafford
- Division of Neuroscience, The Medical School, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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Gerendai I. Supraspinal connections of the reproductive organs: structural and functional aspects. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 91:1-21. [PMID: 15334828 DOI: 10.1556/aphysiol.91.2004.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Gonadal functions are governed by the hypothalamo-hypophyseal system. Other organs of the reproduction tract are under the regulatory action of gonadal steroids. In the past two decades several data have been accumulated on the involvement of fine-tuning control mechanisms which include autocrine and paracrine effects of biologically active substances produced locally and the regulatory action of nerves innervating the organs of the system. Recent studies using the viral transsynaptic technique have revealed cell groups in the central nervous system that are transneuronally connected with the male and female reproductive organs. This review summarizes neuromorphological data on the supraspinal innervation of reproductive organs and the functional significance of these brain areas in the control of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Gerendai
- Department of Human Morphology and Developmental Biology, Neuroendocrine Research Laboratory, Hungarian Academy of Sciences-Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
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Marson L, Foley KA. Identification of neural pathways involved in genital reflexes in the female: a combined anterograde and retrograde tracing study. Neuroscience 2004; 127:723-36. [PMID: 15283970 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2004.04.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2004] [Revised: 04/22/2004] [Accepted: 04/22/2004] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The medial preoptic area (MPOA) is important for reproductive behavior in females. However, the descending pathways mediating these responses to the spinal motor output are unknown. The MPOA does not directly innervate the spinal cord. Therefore, pathways mediating MPOA-induced changes in sexual behavior must relay in the brain. The nucleus paragigantocellularis (nPGi) projects heavily to spinal circuits involved in female sexual reflexes and is involved in the tonic inhibition of genital reflexes. However, the periaqueductal gray (PAG) is also important for female sexual behavior. The present study examined the hypothesis that the MPOA output relays through PAG and the nPGi before descending to the spinal cord. We used anterograde and retrograde tracing techniques to examine the descending pathways and relay sites from the MPOA to the spinal cord and the nPGi in the female rat. Injection of biotinylated dextran amine into the MPOA produced dense labeling in specific regions of the PAG and Barrington's nucleus; anterogradely labeled fibers terminated close to neurons retrogradely labeled from the spinal cord in the PAG, Barrington's nucleus, nPGi, lateral hypothalamus and paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Anterogradely labeled fibers and varicosities were also found close to neurons retrogradely labeled from the nPGi in the PAG, lateral hypothalamus and PVN. These results suggest that the major MPOA output relays in the PAG and nPGi before descending to innervate spinal circuits regulating female genital reflexes and that the MPOA plays a multifaceted role in female reproductive behavior through its modulation of PAG output systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Marson
- UNC at Chapel Hill, Department of Surgery, Urology Division, 103 Mason Farm Road, 2330 MBRB, CB 7052 UNC at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Wiesel O, Tóth IE, Boldogkoi Z, Hornyák A, Bokor V, Halász B, Gerendai I. Comparison of transsynaptic viral labeling of central nervous system structures from the uterine horn in virgin, pregnant, and lactating rats. Microsc Res Tech 2004; 63:244-52. [PMID: 14988921 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.20034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Using the transneuronal viral tracing method, the central nervous system (CNS) connections of the uterine horn were studied in virgin, pregnant, and in lactating rats. The frequency of viral labeling in the brain and the distribution of virus-infected neurons from the uterine horn were compared among groups. There was a marked difference in the frequency of viral labeling in the brain stem. In virgin rats more than half of the brain stems (5 out of 9) were labeled. In contrast, in pregnant animals viral-labeled neurons were detected in only a few cases (3 out of 16) and almost each brain stem of the lactating group was labeled (12 out of 13). A similar, less marked difference was observed in the hypothalamus. The pattern of distribution of infected neurons was similar in each group. In the brain stem, the nucleus of the solitary tract, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, area postrema, gigantocellular and paragigantocellular nucleus, ventrolateral medulla, A5 cell group, and caudal raphe nuclei were the most frequently labeled structures. In the diencephalon, viral-infected neurons were detected primarily in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. The telencephalon was devoid of infected cells. Data suggest that the CNS control of the uterine horn varies depending on reproductive status. The low frequency of brain labeling in pregnant rats may be related to the almost complete lack of sympathetic fibers in the uterus prior to parturition and the very high frequency of labeling in lactating animals to the postpartum hyperinnervation of the uterus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ory Wiesel
- Neuroendocrine Research Laboratory, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University, Department of Human Morphology and Developmental Biology, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary
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Crouch NS, Minto CL, Laio LM, Woodhouse CRJ, Creighton SM. Genital sensation after feminizing genitoplasty for congenital adrenal hyperplasia: a pilot study. BJU Int 2004; 93:135-8. [PMID: 14678385 DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-410x.2004.04572.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess sensation in the clitoris and vagina in women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) who have previously had genital surgery, and to evaluate sexual function in this group as the latter, and particularly the experience of orgasm, appear to be closely related to sensitivity. PATIENTS AND METHODS Six women were recruited from a multidisciplinary clinic specialising in intersex conditions, and representing an initial cohort from a larger ongoing study. The patients were asked to complete a postal questionnaire with a specialized sexual function assessment. Thermal, vibratory and light-touch sensory thresholds were assessed in the clitoris and vagina using a genito-sensory analyser and Von Frey filaments. RESULTS All six women had highly abnormal results for sensation in the clitoris. Only three of them had an introitus capable of admitting the vaginal probe, and the vaginal sensory data of all three were within the validated ranges. A self-administered sexual function assessment was completed by the five women who were sexually active. The scores indicated sexual difficulties, particularly in the areas of infrequency of intercourse and anorgasmia. CONCLUSIONS The sensory data for all six women were outside the normal range for the clitoris. The results for the upper vagina, which had not had surgery, were within normal ranges. These findings suggest that genital surgery may disrupt sensory input. Sexual function also appears to be impaired and this may relate to the compromised sensitivity and restricted introitus. The possibility that women with CAH have deficient clitoral sensation ab initio cannot be excluded. These striking findings must be evaluated further in the light of the controversy about the issue of genital surgery in children with CAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- N S Crouch
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson & Obstetric Hospital, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
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Rouzade-Dominguez ML, Miselis R, Valentino RJ. Central representation of bladder and colon revealed by dual transsynaptic tracing in the rat: substrates for pelvic visceral coordination. Eur J Neurosci 2003; 18:3311-24. [PMID: 14686904 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2003.03071.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The neurocircuitry underlying regulation of bladder and distal colon function by Barrington's nucleus (the pontine micturition centre) was investigated in rats by identifying neurons which were transsynaptically labelled from these viscera, with pseudorabies virus (PRV) or genetically modified forms of PRV [PRV-beta-galactosidase (PRV-beta-Gal) and PRV-green fluorescent protein (PRV-GFP)]. PRV injection into the bladder or the colon of separate rats suggested an overlap in the distribution of bladder- and colon-related neurons in Barrington's nucleus, as well as a topographical arrangement whereby dorsal neurons were bladder-related and ventral neurons were colon-related. In rats injected with PRV-beta-Gal into one viscera and PRV-GFP into another, neurons in the major pelvic ganglion and lumbosacral spinal cord were primarily single-labelled at relatively early survival times. With longer survival times many double-labelled neurons (>70%) appeared in Barrington's nucleus, suggesting that individual Barrington's nucleus neurons are synaptically linked to preganglionic parasympathetic neurons which independently innervate the colon or the bladder. In addition to these dual-labelled neurons, Barrington's nucleus neurons which were single-labelled from either viscera were observed and these exhibited a viscerotopic organization consistent with the single-labelling studies. Together, these findings suggest the existence of three neuronal populations in Barrington's nucleus, one which is synaptically linked to both the bladder and the colon and the other two populations which are specifically linked to either viscera. These anatomical substrates may underlie the central coordination of bladder and colon function and play a role in disorders characterized by a coexistence of bladder and colonic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Laure Rouzade-Dominguez
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th and Civic Center Blvd, 402 Abramson Pediatric Research Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Marson L, Cai R, Makhanova N. Identification of spinal neurons involved in the urethrogenital reflex in the female rat. J Comp Neurol 2003; 462:355-70. [PMID: 12811806 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The urethrogenital (UG) reflex is a spinal sexual reflex that consists of autonomic and somatic nerve activity and vaginal, uterine, and anal sphincter contractions. The UG reflex is under tonic descending inhibition by neurons in the region of the nucleus paragigantocellularis (nPGi). The location of spinal neurons activated by the UG reflex was examined in the female rat using the immediate early gene, c-fos. In addition, the descending inputs from the nPGi onto fos-activated neurons was examined using the anterograde tracer biotin dextran amine injected into the nPGi. The UG reflex resulted in a significant increase in fos-positive nuclei in segments T12-S1, compared with experimental controls in which the UG reflex was not activated. Spinal circuits involved in the UG reflex include neurons relaying afferent information from the pudendal sensory nerve, in the dorsal horn and medial cord of L5-S1. Efferent output includes preganglionic neurons located in the lateral gray of L5-S1 and lateral and medial gray of T13-L2. Spinal interneurons involved in the UG reflex were found close to the preganglionic neurons and in the dorsal horn and intermediate and medial gray of T12-S1. NPGi inputs were found primarily on the autonomic efferents and interneurons in the medial and intermediate gray. These studies demonstrate multisegmental spinal circuits activated with the UG reflex and demonstrate that the descending inhibition from the nPGi is by means of preganglionic and somatic efferents and spinal interneurons closely associated with the efferent output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley Marson
- Department of Urology, University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.
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Erol B, Tefekli A, Sanli O, Ziylan O, Armagan A, Kendirci M, Eryasar D, Kadioglu A. Does sexual dysfunction correlate with deterioration of somatic sensory system in diabetic women? Int J Impot Res 2003; 15:198-202. [PMID: 12904806 DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijir.3900998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate genital and extragenital somatic sensory system in diabetic women using biothesiometry and investigate the relation with sexual dysfunction. A total of 30 diabetic women and 20 normal sexually active women as a control group were evaluated with a detailed medical and sexual history including Index of Female Sexual Function (IFSF) questionnaire. Somatic sensory system of all women enrolled to the study was assessed by biothesiometry and threshold sensory values of nine genital sites and 14 extragenital sites were analyzed. The IFSF score in diabetic women was 23.6 while it was 38.3 in the control group (&<0.0005). For each genital as well as extragenital sites, the mean biothesiometric values were significantly higher in diabetics. The sensation of introitus vagina, labium minora and clitoris were found to be the most deteriorated genital sites in diabetic women. The difference between diabetic women with or without female sexual dysfunction (FSD) was not significant for biothesiometric values. Our data indicate that, somatic sensory system is affected by diabetes however sexual dysfunction does not always manifest.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Erol
- Section of Andrology, Department of Urology, Medical Faculty of Istanbul, University of Istanbul, Capa-Istanbul, Turkey.
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37
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Watanabe S, Kitamura T, Watanabe L, Sato H, Yamada J. Projections from the nucleus reticularis magnocellularis to the rat cervical cord using electrical stimulation and iontophoretic injection methods. Anat Sci Int 2003; 78:42-52. [PMID: 12680469 DOI: 10.1046/j.0022-7722.2003.00038.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to clarify the fiber distribution of the nucleus reticularis magnocellularis (NRMC) and adjacent areas in the rat spinal cord. Biotinylated dextran amine was injected iontophoretically through a glass capillary into the areas, in which a single cell responded to noxious electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve and to a pinch of the thigh skin with multiple spikes. Labeled fibers descended bilaterally through the ventral funiculi of the medulla oblongata and then through the ventral and lateral funiculi of the cervical cord with an ipsilateral predominance, and terminated in the spinal gray (laminae I-X). A single fiber sometimes ran through several laminae while bifurcating many short branches with axon varicosities and terminal buttons in one transverse section, that is, through laminae V, VII and X, through laminae V, IIl-IV and I-II, and through laminae VII to I-II. The present study showed that the wide distribution of a single fiber and a mass of fibers descending from the NRMC and adjacent areas might modulate not only somatic sensory and motor functions but also autonomic functions in the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeo Watanabe
- Department of Anatomy, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
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Gerendai I, Kocsis K, Halász B. Supraspinal connections of the ovary: structural and functional aspects. Microsc Res Tech 2002; 59:474-83. [PMID: 12467022 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.10225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
This review summarizes our recent studies using the viral transneuronal tracing technique to identify sites in the central nervous system (CNS) that are connected with the ovary. A neurotropic virus (pseudorabies virus) was injected into the ovary and various times after the inoculation the spinal cord and brain were examined for virus-infected neurons identified by immunocytochemistry. Such neurons could be detected in well-defined cell groups of the spinal cord (intermediolateral cell column), brain stem (vagal nuclei, area postrema, parapyramidal nucleus, caudal raphe nuclei, A1, A5, A7 noradrenergic cell groups, locus coeruleus, Barrington's nucleus, periaqueductal gray), hypothalamus (paraventricular nucleus, anterior hypothalamus, arcuate nucleus, zona incerta), and, at longer survival time, in some telencephalic structures (amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis). These findings provided the first neuromorphological evidence for the existence of a multisynaptic neuronal pathway between the brain and the ovary presumably involved in the neuronal control of the organ. The observations indicate that there is a significant overlap of CNS structures connected with the ovary, the testis, other organs and organ systems, suggesting similar neuronal circuitries of the autonomic nervous system innervating the different organs. The known descending neuronal connections between the CNS structures labeled from the ovary by the viral transneuronal tracing technique and the findings suggesting a pituitary independent interplay between certain cerebral structures such as the hypothalamus, the amygdala, and the ovary are also summarized in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Gerendai
- Department of Human Morphology and Developmental Biology, Neuroendocrine Research Laboratory, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University of Budapest, H-1094 Tüzoltó u. 58, Budapest, Hungary.
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Daniels D, Miselis RR, Flanagan-Cato LM. Transneuronal tracing from sympathectomized lumbar epaxial muscle in female rats. JOURNAL OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2001; 48:278-90. [PMID: 11500841 DOI: 10.1002/neu.1057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Pseudorabies virus (PRV) has been used as a transneuronal tracer to study central neural networks, including the central control of the lordosis-producing, lumbar epaxial muscles. Within muscles, however, the sympathetic innervation of blood vessels poses a confounding source of tracer labeling in the CNS. The present study destroyed sympathetic nerves before injection of PRV, thereby allowing for a more selective uptake by somatic motoneurons. Specifically, a focal sympathectomy was created by the injection of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase immunotoxin (DHIT). When PRV was injected into control rats, both somatic motoneurons within the ventral horn of the spinal cord and sympathetic preganglionic neurons within the intermediolateral column (IML) of the spinal cord became labeled. Additionally, labeled neurons were observed in many brain regions, including those previously implicated in the control of the lordosis reflex (e.g., the medullary reticular formation; MRF) and those previously implicated in the control of vasomotor tone (e.g., the rostral ventrolateral medulla; RVLM). When injected into DHIT-pretreated animals, PRV labeling in ventral horn neurons persisted in many animals; however, labeling in IML was eliminated in almost every case. In these animals, PRV labeling was absent in brain areas traditionally associated with vasomotor tone, such as RVLM, whereas labeling persisted in brain areas previously implicated in the control of the lordosis response, such as MRF. The results support the connectivity of spinal and medullary structures with the somatic control of the lordosis-producing muscles and provide a more detailed description of these portions of the putative lordosis-relevant neurocircuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Daniels
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
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40
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Mason P. Contributions of the medullary raphe and ventromedial reticular region to pain modulation and other homeostatic functions. Annu Rev Neurosci 2001; 24:737-77. [PMID: 11520917 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.neuro.24.1.737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The raphe magnus is part of an interrelated region of medullary raphe and ventromedial reticular nuclei that project to all areas of the spinal gray. Activation of raphe and reticular neurons evokes modulatory effects in sensory, autonomic, and motor spinal processes. Two physiological types of nonserotonergic cells are observed in the medullary raphe and are thought to modulate spinal pain processing in opposing directions. Recent evidence suggests that these cells may modulate stimulus-evoked arousal or alerting rather than pain-evoked withdrawals. Nonserotonergic cells are also likely to modulate spinal autonomic and motor circuits involved in thermoregulation and sexual function. Medullary serotonergic cells have state-dependent discharge and are likely to contribute to the modulation of pain processing, thermoregulation, and sexual function in the spinal cord. The medullary raphe and ventromedial reticular region may set sensory, autonomic, and motor spinal circuits into configurations that are appropriate to the current behavioral state.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Mason
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Neurologic disorders might be responsible for many cases of female sexual dysfunction. Yet, they are currently undiagnosed because of the lack of measurement tools to assess genital neural function. Therefore, our objective is to provide norms for sensory thresholds in the vagina and clitoris, for a wide range of patient ages. METHODS Vaginal and clitoral warm, cold, and vibratory sensory thresholds were measured in 89 healthy paid volunteers by the method of limits. Normograms were derived from this group of healthy volunteers. An additional 61 patients were also tested, for a total of 150 individuals. Sixty-two individuals (42 healthy volunteers and 20 patients) from the total group were tested twice to provide test-to-test repeatability data across the range of clinical (normal and abnormal) responses. RESULTS Normograms are presented, providing age-corrected upper and lower normal values, expressed as 95% confidence limits for warm, cold, and vibratory thresholds. Intertest repeatability is also reported. CONCLUSIONS Thermal and vibratory thresholds of both the vaginal and clitoral region are clinically feasible, valid, and repeatable. These can be applied as a valuable diagnostic tool to assess neural dysfunction through sensory assessment of the female genitalia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Vardi
- Neuro-Urology Unit, Rambam Medical Center and Technion Faculty of Medicine, Haifa, Israel
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PARK JONGKWAN, KIM SUNGZOO, KIM SHUNHEE, KIM YOUNGGON, CHO KYUNGWOO. RENIN ANGIOTENSIN SYSTEM OF RABBIT CLITORAL CAVERNOSUM: INTERACTION WITH NITRIC OXIDE. J Urol 2000. [DOI: 10.1016/s0022-5347(05)67422-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- JONG KWAN PARK
- From the Departments of Urology and Physiology, Medical School, and Institute for Medical Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Chonbuk, Korea
| | - SUNG ZOO KIM
- From the Departments of Urology and Physiology, Medical School, and Institute for Medical Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Chonbuk, Korea
| | - SHUN HEE KIM
- From the Departments of Urology and Physiology, Medical School, and Institute for Medical Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Chonbuk, Korea
| | - YOUNG GON KIM
- From the Departments of Urology and Physiology, Medical School, and Institute for Medical Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Chonbuk, Korea
| | - KYUNG WOO CHO
- From the Departments of Urology and Physiology, Medical School, and Institute for Medical Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Chonbuk, Korea
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Lee JW, Erskine MS. Pseudorabies virus tracing of neural pathways between the uterine cervix and CNS: Effects of survival time, estrogen treatment, rhizotomy, and pelvic nerve transection. J Comp Neurol 2000. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(20000320)418:4<484::aid-cne9>3.0.co;2-l] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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45
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Valentino RJ, Kosboth M, Colflesh M, Miselis RR. Transneuronal labeling from the rat distal colon: Anatomic evidence for regulation of distal colon function by a pontine corticotropin-releasing factor system. J Comp Neurol 2000. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(20000221)417:4<399::aid-cne2>3.0.co;2-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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46
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Daniels D, Flanagan-Cato LM. Functionally-defined compartments of the lordosis neural circuit in the ventromedial hypothalamus in female rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2000. [DOI: 10.1002/1097-4695(200010)45:1<1::aid-neu1>3.0.co;2-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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47
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WANG CHIACHUAN, WILLIS WILLIAMD, WESTLUND KARINN. Ascending projections from the area around the spinal cord central canal: A Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin study in rats. J Comp Neurol 1999; 415:341-67. [PMID: 10553119 PMCID: PMC7875518 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19991220)415:3<341::aid-cne3>3.0.co;2-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
A single small iontophoretic injection of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin labels projections from the area surrounding the spinal cord central canal at midthoracic (T6-T9) or lumbosacral (L6-S1) segments of the spinal cord. The projections from the midthoracic or lumbosacral level of the medial spinal cord are found: 1) ascending ipsilaterally in the dorsal column near the dorsal intermediate septum or the midline of the gracile fasciculus, respectively; 2) terminating primarily in the dorsal, lateral rim of the gracile nucleus and the medial rim of the cuneate nucleus or the dorsomedial rim of the gracile nucleus, respectively; and 3) ascending bilaterally with slight contralateral predominance in the ventrolateral quadrant of the spinal cord and terminating in the ventral and medial medullary reticular formation. Other less dense projections are to the pons, midbrain, thalamus, hypothalamus, and other forebrain structures. Projections arising from the lumbosacral level are also found in Barrington's nucleus. The results of the present study support previous retrograde tract tracing and physiological studies from our group demonstrating that the neurons in the area adjacent to the central canal of the midthoracic or lumbosacral level of the spinal cord send long ascending projections to the dorsal column nucleus that are important in the transmission of second-order afferent information for visceral nociception. Thus, the axonal projections through both the dorsal and the ventrolateral white matter from the CC region terminate in many regions of the brain providing spinal input for sensory integration, autonomic regulation, motor and emotional responses, and limbic activation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - KARIN N. WESTLUND
- Correspondence to: Karin N. Westlund High, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Member, Marine Biomedical Institute, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-1069.
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48
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Valentino RJ, Miselis RR, Pavcovich LA. Pontine regulation of pelvic viscera: pharmacological target for pelvic visceral dysfunctions. Trends Pharmacol Sci 1999; 20:253-60. [PMID: 10366869 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-6147(99)01332-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The pathophysiology and pharmacological targets of disorders of the bladder and colon have focused predominantly on the periphery. However, these viscera are regulated by the CNS, which, in turn, must integrate their functions with compatible behaviours. This review focuses on the role of the pontine micturition centre, Barrington's nucleus, as a key to this integration. Through its efferent network this pontine centre links parasympathetic preganglionic neurones with forebrain-projecting nuclei, providing an anatomical substrate for coregulation of pelvic visceral and forebrain activity. Disorders characterized by multiple pelvic visceral symptoms and comorbidity with psychiatric disorders (for example functional bowel disorders) might have their roots in dysfunctions of this circuit, which could provide a novel target for pharmacological treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Valentino
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University, Broad and Vine Sts, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
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49
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Central neuronal circuit innervating the lordosis-producing muscles defined by transneuronal transport of pseudorabies virus. J Neurosci 1999. [PMID: 10087093 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.19-07-02823.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The lordosis reflex is a hormone-dependent behavior displayed by female rats during mating. This study used the transneuronal tracer pseudorabies virus (PRV) to investigate the CNS network that controls the lumbar epaxial muscles that produce this posture. After PRV was injected into lumbar epaxial muscles, the time course analysis of CNS viral infection showed progressively more PRV-labeled neurons in higher brain structures after longer survival times. In particular, the medullary reticular formation, periaqueductal gray (PAG), and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN) were sequentially labeled with PRV, which supports the proposed hierarchical network of lordosis control. Closer inspection of the PRV-immunoreactive neurons in the PAG revealed a marked preponderance of spheroid neurons, rather than fusiform or triangular morphologies. Furthermore, PRV-immunoreactive neurons were concentrated in the ventrolateral column, rather than the dorsal, dorsolateral, or lateral columns of the PAG. Localization of the PRV-labeled neurons in the VMN indicated that the majority were located in the ventrolateral subdivision, although some were also in other subdivisions of the VMN. As expected, labeled cells also were found in areas traditionally associated with sympathetic outflow to blood vessels and motor pathways, including the intermediolateral nucleus of the spinal cord, the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, the red nucleus, and the motor cortex. These results suggest that the various brain regions along the neuraxis previously implicated in the lordosis reflex are indeed serially connected.
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50
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Enquist LW, Husak PJ, Banfield BW, Smith GA. Infection and spread of alphaherpesviruses in the nervous system. Adv Virus Res 1999; 51:237-347. [PMID: 9891589 DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3527(08)60787-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 255] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L W Enquist
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, NJ 08544, USA.
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