Growth prolongation of human induced pluripotent stem cell aggregate in three-dimensional suspension culture system by addition of botulinum hemagglutinin

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can be used in regenerative therapy as an irresistible cell source, and so the development of scalable production of hiPSCs for three-dimensional (3D) suspension culture is required. In this study, we established a simple culture strategy for improving hiPSC aggregate growth using botulinum hemagglutinin (HA), which disrupts cell-cell adhesion mediated by E-cadherin. When HA was added to the suspension culture of hiPSC aggregates, E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion was temporarily disrupted within 24 h, but then recovered. Phosphorylated myosin light chain, a contractile force marker, was also recovered at the periphery of hiPSC aggregates. The cell aggregates were suppressed the formation of collagen type I shell-like structures at the periphery by HA and collagen type I was homogenously distributed within the cell aggregates. In addition, these cell aggregates retained the proliferation marker Ki-67 throughout the cell aggregates. The apparent specific growth rate with HA addition was maintained continuously throughout the culture, and the final cell density was 1.7-fold higher than that in the control culture. These cells retained high expression levels of pluripotency markers. These observations indicated that relaxation of cell-cell adhesions by HA addition induced rearrangement of the mechanical tensions generated by actomyosin in hiPSC aggregates and suppression of collagen type I shell-like structure formation. These results suggest that this simple and readily culture strategy is a potentially useful tool for improving the scalable production of hiPSCs for 3D suspension cultures.

Improvement in Cycle Life of Organic Lithium-Ion Batteries by In-Cell Polymerization of Tetrathiafulvalene-Based Electrode Materials

Redox-active organic molecules are promising candidates for next-generation electrode materials. Nevertheless, finding low-molecular-weight organic materials with a long cycle life remains a crucial challenge. Herein, we demonstrate the application of tetrathiafulvalene and its vinyl analogue bearing triphenylamines as long-cycle-life electrodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). These molecules were successfully synthesized using palladium-catalyzed C-H arylation. Electrochemical analysis revealed that a polymer formed on the electrode. LIBs comprising these molecules exhibited noteworthy charge-discharge properties with a long cycle life (the capacity after 100 cycles was greater than 90% of the discharge capacity in the third cycle) and a high utilization ratio (approximately 100%). "In-cell" polymerization during the first charge process is considered to contribute to the effect. This study indicates new avenues for the creation of organic materials for rechargeable batteries.

Tetrodotoxins in the flatworm Planocera multitentaculata

The marine polyclad flatworm Planocera multitentaculata is known to possess high levels of tetrodotoxin (TTX), but the presence of TTX analogues in the species has been unexplored. In this study, TTX and several analogues such as 5,6,11-trideoxyTTX, monodeoxyTTXs, dideoxyTTXs, and 11-norTTX-6(S)-ol were identified in three adults and egg plates of P. multitentaculata using high resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HR-LC/MS) for the first time.

Synthesis of Peripherally Arylated Tetrathiafulvalenes Extended with an Anthraquinoid Spacer via Pd-Catalyzed C–H Arylation and Construction of a Double-Helical Cobalt-Based Metal-Organic Framework

Peripherally arylated tetrathiafulvalenes with an anthraquinoid spacer (TTFAQs) have been synthesized by using palladium-catalyzed direct C–H arylation of the 1,3-dithiole rings. Electrochemical analysis by cyclic voltammetry has revealed that the new tetraarylated TTFAQs show one pair of simultaneous two-electron transfer waves as the parent TTFAQ does. The hydrolysis of the tetra(p-ethoxycarbonylphenyl)-substituted derivative affords the corresponding tetracarboxylic acid, which forms a new double-helical metal-organic framework upon complexation with cobalt(III) nitrate.

Differential binding of tetrodotoxin and its derivatives to voltage-sensitive sodium channel subtypes (Nav 1.1 to Nav 1.7)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The development of subtype-selective ligands to inhibit voltage-sensitive sodium channels (VSSCs) has been attempted with the aim of developing therapeutic compounds. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a toxin from pufferfish that strongly inhibits VSSCs. Many TTX analogues have been identified from marine and terrestrial sources, although their specificity for particular VSSC subtypes has not been investigated. Herein, we describe the binding of 11 TTX analogues to human VSSC subtypes Na_v 1.1-Na_v 1.7.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Each VSSC subtype was transiently expressed in HEK293T cells. The inhibitory effects of TTX analogues on each subtype were assessed using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings.

KEY RESULTS

The inhibitory effects of TTX on Na_v 1.1-Na_v 1.7 were observed in accordance with those reported in the literature; however, the 5-deoxy-10,7-lactone-type analogues and 4,9-anhydro-type analogues did not cause inhibition. Chiriquitoxin showed less binding to Na_v 1.7 compared to the other TTX-sensitive subtypes. Two amino acid residues in the TTX binding site of Na_v 1.7, Thr¹⁴²⁵ and Ile¹⁴²⁶ were mutated to Met and Asp, respectively, because these residues were found at the same positions in other subtypes. The two mutants, Na_v 1.7 T1425M and Na_v 1.7 I1426D, had a 16-fold and 5-fold increase in binding affinity for chiriquitoxin, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The reduced binding of chiriquitoxin to Na_v 1.7 was attributed to its C11-OH and/or C12-NH₂ , based on reported models for the TTX-VSSC complex. Chiriquitoxin is a useful tool for probing the configuration of the TTX binding site until a crystal structure for the mammalian VSSC is solved.

Reduced perfusion in the anterior cingulate cortex of patients with pure autonomic failure: an 123I-IMP SPECT study

BACKGROUND

Pure autonomic failure (PAF) is a selective peripheral disorder in which Lewy bodies form within the autonomic ganglia. Patients with this disorder usually have no central lesions; however, chronic autonomic failure may secondarily affect the central nervous system. This study evaluated brain perfusion in patients with PAF by using N-isopropyl-p-(123)I iodoamphetamine ((123)I-IMP) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

METHODS

Six patients with PAF (all men; mean (SD) age 68+/-5 years) who had experienced autonomic symptoms for more than 5 years and six age-matched healthy control subjects (all men; mean (SD) age 67+/-5 years) were included in this study. The regions of interest (ROI) on spacially normalized (123)I-IMP SPECT images were automatically computed for both groups.

RESULTS

Perfusion of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex was decreased in the PAF group compared with the healthy control group (0.93 vs 1.01; p<0.001). In the other brain regions measured, there was no significant difference in regional perfusion between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex is poorly perfused and may be functionally altered in patients with PAF. The reduced perfusion in such individuals may be a secondary change that results from chronic autonomic failure.

Bladder and bowel dysfunction in Parkinson's disease

Bladder dysfunction (urinary urgency/frequency) and bowel dysfunction (constipation) are common non-motor disorders in Parkinson's disease (PD). In contrast to motor disorder, the pelvic autonomic dysfunction is often non-responsive to levodopa treatment. Brain pathology mostly accounts for the bladder dysfunction (appearance of overactivity) via altered dopamine-basal ganglia circuit, which normally suppresses the micturition reflex. In contrast, peripheral enteric pathology mostly accounts for the bowel dysfunction (slow transit and decreased phasic contraction) via altered dopamine-enteric nervous system circuit, which normally promotes the peristaltic reflex. In addition, weak strain and paradoxical anal contraction might be the results of brain pathology. Pathophysiology of the pelvic organ dysfunction in PD differs from that in multiple system atrophy; therefore it might aid the differential diagnosis. Drugs to treat bladder dysfunction in PD include anticholinergic agents. Drugs to treat bowel dysfunction in PD include dietary fibers, peripheral dopaminergic antagonists, and selective serotonergic agonists. These treatments might be beneficial not only in maximizing patients' quality of life, but also in promoting intestinal absorption of levodopa and avoiding gastrointestinal emergency.

Urinary retention due to an isolated sacral root injury caused by sacral fracture

STUDY DESIGN

A case report.

SETTING

Urodynamic laboratory in a university hospital, Chiba, Japan.

CASE REPORT

A young woman who suffered from urinary retention following a skiing accident. A sacral X-ray (lateral view) revealed an S2-3 sacral fracture. The patient gradually regained the ability to urinate. At 3 months after the accident, she still suffered difficult urination, although her neurological findings were normal. A urodynamic study showed an acontractile detrusor and a neurogenic sphincter electromyogram (EMG), together indicative of isolated sacral nerve injury.

CONCLUSIONS

It was postulated that the S2-3 sacral fracture had led to bilateral traction of the S2-3 nerve roots, producing transient bladder paralysis (parasympathetic fibers) and incomplete sphincter paresis (somatic fibers). Sacral fracture is also of high clinical suspicion for urinary retention in frail elderly people, because it can result from simple falls.

Wolfram syndrome presenting marked brain MR imaging abnormalities with few neurologic abnormalities

Wolfram syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder featuring diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, and deafness; DIDMOAD is a commonly accepted anonym for this disorder. We describe a 35-year-old man with Wolfram syndrome, who had marked atrophy of the brain stem, middle cerebellar peduncle, and cerebellum. Despite these MR imaging findings involving the pontocerebellar tract, the patient had no neurologic abnormalities suggesting dysfunction of the brain stem or cerebellum. Patients with Wolfram syndrome may have discrepancies between neurologic and radiologic findings.

Urinary retention can be the sole initial manifestation of acute myelitis

Urinary retention is a frequent feature in patients with acute myelitis (AM). We here describe the result of a survey of 32 consecutive AM patients as to what extent of AM patients initially present with micturition disturbance. Among those, 3 patients (9%) were shown to have urinary retention as the initial sole manifestation, which was followed by dysesthesia of foot in 3 and leg weakness in 1; and the average interval between micturition disturbance and these second-appearing symptoms/signs was 11 days (8-15 days). Although initial presentation of urinary retention was not common, occurring in only 9% of all the AM patients, clinically it has relevance because patients who suffer urinary retention but have no obvious neurological symptoms may first see general physicians or urologists. In those patients, when obstructive disease has been excluded, AM should be considered.

Effects of electrical stimulation of the raphe area on the micturition reflex in cats

The raphe nucleus has a variety of physiological functions, including emotion, regulation of skeletal muscle motoneurons, spinal transmission of nociceptive signals, sleep, respiration, gastric motility, and cardiovascular function. Recent evidence has shown that centrally administered serotonin has modulatory effects on micturition function, and that decreased brain serotonin might underlie depression and an overactive bladder. We applied high-frequency stimulation (HFS; 0.2-ms duration, 100 Hz) in the raphe nucleus and the adjacent midline area in 20 supracollicular decerebrate cats, which mostly elicited inhibition of the micturition reflex. The effective amplitude of the electrical stimulation for evoking inhibitory responses was less than 50 muA. We also examined single neuronal activities in the raphe nucleus in response to isovolumetric spontaneous micturition reflexes. In total, 79 neurons were recorded in the raphe nucleus that were related to urinary storage/micturition cycles. Of the neurons recorded, the most common were tonic storage neurons (48%), followed by tonic micturition neurons (28%), phasic storage neurons (18%), and phasic micturition neurons (6%). In addition to the tonic/phasic as well as storage/micturition classification, the neurons showed diverse discharge patterns: augmenting, constant and decrementing, with the constant discharge pattern being most common. Among neurons in the raphe nucleus, the neurons with a decrementing discharge pattern were concentrated in the rostral portion, whereas the augmenting and constant neurons existed diffusely. The storage and micturition neurons were intermingled in the rostral portion, whereas they were separate in the caudal portion. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that HFS of the raphe area inhibits the micturition reflex and that there are micturition-related neuronal firings in the raphe area in cats, suggesting that the raphe nucleus is involved in neural control of micturition.

Striatal dopamine level increases in the urinary storage phase in cats: an in vivo microdialysis study

Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disease that shows not only movement disorder, but also profound urinary dysfunction. Bladder hyperactivity is the major urodynamic abnormality. Therefore, the basal ganglia have been thought to modulate the micturition reflex. In six male adult cats under ketamine anesthesia, in which spontaneous isovolumetric micturition reflexes had been generated, we measured levels of striatal dopamine, in micturition and storage phases, using in vivo microdialysis. The striatal dopamine level significantly increased in the storage phase as compared with that in the micturition phase. It is suggested that striatal dopamine may inhibit the micturition reflex via the dopamine D1 receptor-GABAergic direct striatal output pathway, and that disruption of this pathway may be what leads to bladder hyperactivity in patients with Parkinson's disease.

When is Onuf's nucleus involved in multiple system atrophy? A sphincter electromyography study

BACKGROUND

External anal sphincter (EAS) electromyography (EMG) abnormalities can distinguish multiple system atrophy (MSA) from Parkinson's disease in the first five years after disease onset. However, the prevalence of the abnormalities in the early stages of MSA is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To present EAS-EMG data in the various stages of MSA.

METHODS

84 patients with "probable" MSA were recruited (42 men, 42 women; mean age 62 years (range 47 to 78); mean disease duration 3.2 years (0.5 to 8.0; <1 year in 25%); 50 cerebellar form (MSA-C), 34 parkinsonian form (MSA-P)). EAS motor unit potential (MUP) analysis and EMG cystometry were carried out in all patients.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of neurogenic change of the EAS MUP was 62%-52% in the first year after disease onset, increasing to 83% by the fifth year (p<0.05); it also increased with severity of gait disturbance (p<0.05), storage and voiding disorders, and detrusor sphincter dyssynergy (NS). The neurogenic change was not correlated with sex, age, MSA-P/C, postural hypotension, constipation, erectile dysfunction in men, underactive or acontractile detrusor, or detrusor overactivity. In 17 incontinent patients without detrusor overactivity or low compliance, urinary incontinence was more severe in those with neurogenic change than in those without (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Involvement of Onuf's nucleus in MSA is time dependent. Before the fifth year of illness, the prevalence of neurogenic change does not seem to be high, so a negative result cannot exclude the diagnosis of MSA.

Lower urinary tract function in dementia of Lewy body type

OBJECTIVE

Dementia of Lewy body (DLB) type is the second commonest degenerative cause of dementia and autonomic dysfunction has been recognised in DLB. Lower urinary tract (LUT) function in DLB has not been fully delineated. We investigated LUT function in DLB by evaluating clinical and urodynamic data.

METHODS

We examined 11 patients (eight men, three women; age range 65-81; disease duration 2-14 years) with probable DLB. Urodynamic studies consisted of: measurement of postvoid residual in all patients, uroflowmetry in five, and electromyography (EMG) cystometry in seven.

RESULTS

All patients had symptoms of LUT: urinary incontinence (urgency type/functional type due to dementia and immobility/both urgency and stress type in 7/2/1 patients, respectively); night-time frequency; urgency; and daytime frequency and voiding difficulty. Seven had postvoid residuals, and three had residual urine volume >100 ml. Decreased urinary flow was seen in all five and detrusor overactivity in 5/7 patients who underwent flowmetry and EMG cystometry, respectively. Low compliance detrusor (storage phase, n = 2; with bethanechol supersensitivity), an underactive detrusor (n = 4), an acontractile detrusor (n = 1), and detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia (voiding phase) (n = 1) were also seen; 2/3 patients who underwent motor unit potential analysis had neurogenic changes.

CONCLUSION

LUT dysfunction is a common feature in DLB, not only due to dementia and immobility, but also to central and peripheral types of somato-autonomic dysfunction.

Lower urinary tract function in patients with pituitary adenoma compressing hypothalamus

BACKGROUND

The micturition reflex is under the tonic influence of suprapontine structures including the anteromedial frontal cortex, basal ganglia, and hypothalamus. However, there have been few reports about the role of the hypothalamus on the lower urinary tract (LUT) function in humans.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate LUT function in patients with pituitary adenomas.

METHODS

Urodynamic studies were carried out in three patients with LUT symptoms who had pituitary adenomas extending upwards to the hypothalamus.

RESULTS

All three male patients (age 28 to 62 years) developed LUT symptoms (urinary urgency and frequency (3); urinary incontinence (3); voiding difficulty and retention (2)) along with weight loss, psychiatric symptoms, unsteady gait, and/or visual disturbances. One had the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone, but none had diabetes insipidus. Two had resection of the tumour and subsequent radiation therapy, but LUT dysfunction persisted. The third patient had partial resection of the tumour to ameliorate hydrocephalus. Urodynamic studies showed detrusor overactivity during the storage phase in all patients; during the voiding phase there was underactive detrusor in two and non-relaxing sphincter in one.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypothalamic lesions can cause severe LUT dysfunction in both the storage and voiding phases of micturition. This may reflect the crucial role of the hypothalamus in regulating micturition in humans.

Post-micturitional hypotension in patients with multiple system atrophy

BACKGROUND

Patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) occasionally have episodes of syncope or pre-syncope after micturition.

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the mechanism of these episodes by investigating the haemodynamic changes associated with micturition.

METHODS

25 patients with probable MSA and 16 age matched normal controls were studied. Continuous records of blood pressure and heart rate were made during water cystometry, along with the Valsalva manoeuvre, head up tilt testing, measurement of plasma noradrenaline, and calculation of coefficient of variance of RR intervals.

RESULTS

Compared with normal controls, MSA patients had a lower baseline blood pressure, smaller blood pressure and heart rate increases during bladder filling, and an abnormal fall in blood pressure for a longer duration after voiding, resulting in significantly lower blood pressure than at baseline (mean systolic blood pressure reduction -15.2 mm Hg), and hypotension compared with control blood pressure (-29.0 mm Hg). The blood pressure fall was greater in patients with micturition syncope/pre-syncope than in those without. It was also greater in patients with abdominal straining resulting from difficulty in voiding. Other cardiovascular indices did not correlate with the fall in blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypotension after voiding in MSA patients may result from generalised autonomic dysfunction and abnormal abdominal straining, resulting in micturition syncope.

Reduced cerebellar vermis activation during urinary storage and micturition in multiple system atrophy: 99mTc-labelled ECD SPECT study

Single-photon emission computed tomography brain imaging with special reference of bladder function was performed in eight multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients (two men, six women; mean age, 61 years) and age-matched five normal control subjects (three men, two women; 62 years). In both groups imagings were obtained in three conditions; empty bladder, storage, and micturition. [99mTc]-labelled ECD (555 MBq) was intravenously injected, which was immediately trapped and stabilized within the brain. Using NEUROSTAT software, which could also cancel morphologic differences between MSA and canonical brain, statistical difference between normalized mean tracer counts of both groups in each phase was calculated and visualized. In the storage phase, there was a significant decrease in tracer activity in bilateral cerebellar vermis, particularly of the right side in the MSA group (P < 0.05), which is also known to be involved in the neural control of micturition. In the micturition phase, the area of decrease in tracer activity in the cerebellar vermis became wider in the MSA group. In the resting state, no statistically significance was seen between both groups. In conclusion, it is suggested that the decrease in tracer activity in the cerebellar vermis during urinary storage and micturition is contributing to the micturitional disturbance in this disorder.

Primary Sjogren's syndrome presenting with generalized autonomic failure

A 64 year-old woman developed Raynaud's phenomenon and dry eyes/mouth. Laboratory examination revealed positive Schirmer's test, rheumatoid factor and anti-nuclear antibody, and lymphocytic sialoadenitis on salivary gland biopsy. These features strongly suggested the diagnosis of primary Sjogren's syndrome. Three years later, she gradually developed generalized autonomic failure without apparent sensory neuropathy on nerve conduction study. She had systolic pressure fall of 51 mmHg on head-up tilt test, cardiovascular supersensitivity to diluted norepinephrine infusion, cardiac denervation in [123I]-MIBG scintigraphy, impaired R-R variability, decreased sweating and prolonged colonic transit time. Autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy was mostly responsible for her autonomic failure.

Observation of millimeter-wave radiation generated by the interaction between an electron beam and a photonic crystal

We observed directional light emission in the millimeter-wave region when a high-energy (150 MeV) electron beam passes just above a photonic crystal made of polytetrafluoroethylene beads ( approximately 3.2 mm in diameter). The relation between the momentum and the energy of the emitted photons strongly suggests that the observed light is generated by the umklapp scattering process that changes the evanescent waves emitted by the electron beam into observable ones. By comparing the observed spectra with calculated ones based on the photonic band structure, we found that generated photons excite the photonic band modes making them observable as enhanced fine structures in the emission spectra.

Micturition disturbance in acute idiopathic autonomic neuropathy

OBJECTIVE

To define the nature of micturition disturbance in patients with acute idiopathic autonomic neuropathy (AIAN).

METHODS

Micturitional symptoms were observed during hospital admissions and the in outpatient clinics in six patients with clinically definite AIAN (typical form in four, cholinergic variant in one, autonomic-sensory variant in one). Urodynamic studies included medium-fill water cystometry, external sphincter electromyography, and a bethanechol test.

RESULTS

Four patients had urinary retention and two had voiding difficulty as the initial presentation. Patients with retention became able to urinate within a week (two to seven days). The major symptoms at the time of urodynamic studies (three weeks to four months after disease onset in most cases) were voiding difficulty and nocturnal frequency. None had urinary incontinence. Complete recovery from the micturition disturbance took from three months to >18 years. The recovery period was shorter in a patient with cholinergic variant, and it was longer in two patients who had a longer duration of initial urinary retention. Micturition disturbance tended to improve earlier than orthostatic hypotension. The major urodynamic abnormalities were detrusor areflexia on voiding (5), denervation supersensitivity to bethanechol (3); low compliance detrusor (1); and impaired bladder sensation (2). None had neurogenic motor unit potentials of the external sphincter muscles.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with AIAN, urinary retention and voiding difficulty are common initial presentations. The underlying mechanisms seem to be pre- and postganglionic cholinergic dysfunction with preservation of somatic sphincter function. The bladder problems tend to improve earlier than orthostatic hypotension.

Micturition-related neuronal firing in the periaqueductal gray area in cats

The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) is the area promoting emotional motor responses, reproductive behaviors and analgesia. Recent studies suggest that neurons in the PAG may be crucial for regulating the micturition reflex in both experimental animals and humans. We examined single neuronal activities in the PAG and the adjacent area in response to isovolumetric spontaneous micturition reflexes in 20 supracollicular decerebrated cats. In total, 84 neurons were recorded in the PAG that were related to urinary storage/micturition cycles. Of the neurons recorded, the most common were tonic storage neurons (43%), followed by tonic micturition neurons (29%), phasic storage neurons (15%) and phasic micturition neurons (13%). In addition to the tonic/phasic as well as storage/micturition classification, the neurons showed diverse discharge patterns: augmenting, constant and decrementing, with the constant discharge pattern being most common. Of the 16 neurons located within the PAG that had similar discharge patterns to those just ventral to the PAG, the micturition neurons were distributed in a broader area, whereas the storage neurons seemed to be concentrated in the middle part of the PAG (P0-1, Horsley-Clarke coordinate). High-frequency stimulation (HFS; 0.2-ms duration, 100 Hz) applied in the PAG elicited inhibition of the micturition reflex. Effective amplitude of the electrical stimulation for evoking inhibitory responses was less than 50 microA. In conclusion, the results of the present study showed that HFS of the PAG inhibited the micturition reflex and there were micturition-related neuronal firings in the PAG in cats, suggesting that the PAG is involved in neural control of micturition.

Effects of subthalamic nucleus stimulation on the micturation reflex in cats

High frequency stimulation (HFS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has been performed to reverse motor dysfunction in severe parkinsonian patients. Recent studies suggested that neural circuitry in the basal ganglia might regulate micturition function as well. In 15 adult male cats under ketamine anesthesia, in which spontaneous isovolumetric micturition reflex had been generated, we performed electrical stimulation and extracellular single unit recording in the STN. Electrical stimulation applied in the STN elicited inhibition of the micturition reflex. None of the responses was facilitatory. Effective amplitude of the electrical stimulation for evoking inhibitory responses was less than 50 microA, which gradually increased and exceeded 250 microA as the location of the stimulation exceeded an area of the STN. Effective frequency of the electrical stimulation with given stimulus intensity was 50 Hz and higher. Total 10 neurons were recorded in the STN that were related to urinary storage/micturition cycles. All neurons were tonically active throughout storage/micturition cycles with storage phase predominance, with almost constant firing activities during the storage phase. In conclusion, our results showed that HFS-STN inhibited the micturition reflex and there were micturition-related neuronal firings in the STN in cats, suggesting the STN may be involved in neural control of micturition. The results also provide an implication that clinical HFS-STN may alter urinary function in parkinsonian patients.