Effects of transection of the spinal cord in the rat: cystometric and autoradiographic studies.

Abstract

Cystometric studies and autoradiographic experiments were performed in the rat to determine the urodynamic parameters and the cholinergic muscarinic binding properties of detrusor in control animals and those with complete spinal cord transection. After an unexplored spinal shock phase, the reactivity of the bladder was studied at 2, 5 and 9 weeks following transection. The chief modifications caused by spinal cord injury on the cystomanometric parameters were an increase of the maximal amplitude of contraction and a decrease of the pressure threshold. This correlated well with the results obtained in the autoradiographic studies, in which the density of muscarinic receptors in transected rats increased by 80% and 60% in the vesical sections after 2 and 5 weeks. The density of these muscarinic receptors sites returned to control levels 9 weeks after section.