大鼠脑桥排尿反射传入通路的形态学和生理学研究

It is well known that the pontine micturition reflex is the anatomical foundation of the non-conscious micturition. The aim of the present study is to elucidate the afferent pathways of the pontine micturition reflex in rat. Barrington's nucleus, the central site controlling pontine micturition reflex, is localized in the dorsallateral tegmentum of the pon. The afferent information derived from bladder arrives mainly at the sacral dorsal commissural nucleus, the sacral parasympathetic nucleus and the marginal layer of the dorsal horn in the lumbosacral spinal cord. Thus, the main purpose of the project is to study the connections between the Barrington's nucleus and the sacral spinal cord. In other words, we are trying to figure out if Barrington's nucleus receives afferent information from the lumbosacral spinal cord directly or indirectly via some brain regions. Our results have revealed that there exist two ascending afferent pathways from the lumbosacral spinal cord to Barrington's nucleus: One is the direct pathway, and the other one is indirect pathway mediated by the periaquaductal gray matter.

脑桥排尿反射是哺乳动物的一项重要反射活动，是意识性排尿的基础。但对此反射回路的构成尤其是其传入部分尚缺乏认识。我们在先前研究工作的基础上，拟采用神经元顺逆行追踪技术，在光电镜水平对脑桥排尿反射的传入通路进行探讨，同时采用电生理研究手段进一步验证形态学的结果并确定此通路的性质。此研究对阐明排尿反射的生理过程具有重要意义。