Abstract
We examined the relationship between bladder activity and amino acid levels in the central nervous system (CNS) after cerebral infarction (Cl) in rats. Female rats were anesthetized with halothane, and a nylon thread was inserted into the right middle cerebral artery to cause CI. At 1 day to 8 weeks after CI, bladder activity and glutamate and glycine levels in the CNS and serum were measured. The frequency of isovolumetric bladder contractions was increased at 1 day to 1 week after CI, but it returned to baseline at 2 weeks. The glutamate level of the cerebrum and the glycine levels of the brainstem and the cervicothoracic cord were decreased at 1 day to 8 weeks after CI. The glycine level of the lumbosacral cord was also decreased at 1 day to 2 weeks after CI, but it returned to baseline at 4 weeks. Serum glutamate and glycine levels of CI rats did not differ from those of control rats and sham-operated rats at 1 day to 8 weeks after surgery. Therefore, the change of bladder activity after CI may be partly dependent on the activity of glycinergic neurons in the lumbosacral cord.
