Unilateral denervation of the rat urinary bladder and reinnervation: a predominance for ipsilateral changes

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Unilateral removal of the pelvic ganglion affected the bladder‐half on the denervated side more profoundly than that on the non‐denervated side. At an early stage (3–7 days) the former was heavier, had a lower choline acetyltransferase activity, developed less tension to nerve stimulation and, in course of time, became more sensitized to methacholinein vitrothan the latter. At a late stage (30–60 days) the nerve‐evoked contractile responses on the denervated side had increased, which was almost wholly attributed to the atropine‐sensitive part of the contraction, but the recovery was not complete. On the non‐denervated side the nerve‐evoked responses were not significantly changed. It was calculated that in the normally innervated bladders 25–30% of the cholinergic nerves of each half were of contralateral origin. The figure was lower (18%) for the nerves mediating the atropine‐resistant response.,