| First Author | Ito H | Year | 2020 |
| Journal | Elife | Volume | 9 |
| PubMed ID | 32347794 | Mgi Jnum | J:290787 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6442461 | Doi | 10.7554/eLife.56605 |
| Citation | Ito H, et al. (2020) Probabilistic, spinally-gated control of bladder pressure and autonomous micturition by Barrington's nucleus CRH neurons. Elife 9:e56605 |
| abstractText | Micturition requires precise control of bladder and urethral sphincter via parasympathetic, sympathetic and somatic motoneurons. This involves a spino-bulbospinal control circuit incorporating Barrington's nucleus in the pons (Barr). Ponto-spinal glutamatergic neurons that express corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) form one of the largest Barr cell populations. Barr(CRH) neurons can generate bladder contractions, but it is unknown whether they act as a simple switch or provide a high-fidelity pre-parasympathetic motor drive and whether their activation can actually trigger voids. Combined opto- and chemo-genetic manipulations along with multisite extracellular recordings in urethane anaesthetised CRH(Cre) mice show that Barr(CRH) neurons provide a probabilistic drive that generates co-ordinated voids or non-voiding contractions depending on the phase of the micturition cycle. CRH itself provides negative feedback regulation of this process. These findings inform a new inferential model of autonomous micturition and emphasise the importance of the state of the spinal gating circuit in the generation of voiding. |
