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  • Title: Role of spinal glutamatergic transmission in the ascending limb of the micturition reflex pathway in the rat.
    Author: Kakizaki H, Yoshiyama M, Roppolo JR, Booth AM, De Groat WC.
    Journal: J Pharmacol Exp Ther; 1998 Apr; 285(1):22-7. PubMed ID: 9535990.
    Abstract:
    This study was undertaken to evaluate the role of glutamate receptors at spinal synapses on the ascending limb of the micturition reflex. In urethane-anesthetized female rats, a tungsten electrode was inserted stereotaxically into the dorsal part of the rostral pons to record field potentials which were evoked by electrical stimulation of the pelvic nerve (PLN) (1-15 V, 0.05 ms pulse duration at 100-300 Hz, 5-30 ms train duration). The effects of glutamate receptor antagonists administered intrathecally (i.t.) on the PLN-evoked field potentials in the dorsal part of the rostral brainstem were examined. PLN stimulation evoked short latency (10-22 ms) negative field potentials (85 +/- 4 microV) in a limited area of the dorsal part of the rostral pons (bregma -9.0 to -8.4, L 0.5 to 1. 5, H 4.2 to 5.4). The i.t. administration of LY215490 (0.1-30 microg), a competitive alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist, reduced the amplitude of the evoked potentials in a dose-dependent manner; 84 +/- 6%, 59 +/- 11% (P < .001), 31 +/- 10% (P < .001), 17 +/- 9% (P < .001) of control after 0.1, 1, 10, 30 microg of LY215490, respectively. The i.t. administration of MK-801 (1-100 microg), a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, also reduced the amplitude of the evoked potentials in a dose-dependent manner; 93 +/- 21%, 76 +/- 14%, 52 +/- 9% (P < .001), 39 +/- 9% (P < .001) of control after 1, 10, 30, 100 microg of MK-801, respectively. Combined administration of LY215490 (0.1 microg) and MK-801 (1 microg), in doses which individually did not elicit a significant effect, markedly reduced the amplitude of the evoked potentials (27 +/- 9% of control, P = . 0002). These results suggest that AMPA and NMDA glutamatergic synaptic mechanisms play a key role in the spinal processing of afferent input from the bladder and that these mechanisms function synergistically in the ascending limb of the spinobulbospinal micturition reflex pathway.
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