AUTONOMIC CONTROL OF THE RETRACTOR PENIS IN THE CAT

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Temporal summation of the responses of the cat''s retractor penis when stimuli are applied to either the sympathetic or parasympathetic nerves obeys a hyperbolic law, similar to that which occurs in simpler autonomic effectors, i.e., those having only a single autonomic supply. Evidence is presented that the mediator of the sympathetic nerve impulses is sympathin, i.e., that these nerve fibers are adrenergic. Similar evidence suggests that the parasympathetic supply is cholinergic. The 2 mediators act independently on the effector, one does not prevent the action of the other. The effect of simultaneous stimulation is the resultant of the 2 opposite influences. Stimulation of the sympathetic supply was carried out by electrodes under the abdominal sympathetic chain at L1. Stimulation of the parasympathetic supply involved placing electrodes under the cauda equina. The cord and lumbar chains were cut at L1 to insure the exclusion of reflex effects.