Abstract
Electroureterograms were recorded primarily in dogs following severance of the extrinsic nerves, vascular ligation or mucosal anesthesia of the ureter in an attempt to clarify several factors possibly controlling the ureteral peristalsis. The results obtained may be summarized as follows: Complete blockage of the ureteral extrinsic nerves by means of renal autotransplantation resulted in practically no significant alterations in the pattern of electroureterograms. With dogs in which the renal artery was ligated for the purpose of studying the influence of the blood flow, no significant changes in the pattern of electroureterograms were observed. In contrast, severance of all blood vessels which supply the ureter was promptly followed by arrest of the peristaltic movement. In in vivo experiments a prompt cessation of ureteral peristalsis occurred in response to the application of 4 per cent xylocaine to the ureteral mucosa, whereas no significant changes occurred in peristaltic movement when the same solution was applied to the adventitia. An infliction of damage to the canine ureteral mucosa with 2.5% formalin resulted in permanent arrest of ureteral peristalsis. Thirty days afterwards, development of non-obstructive hydronephrosis was seen. Isolated canine ureters were subjected separately to the application of xylocaine to the mucosa and to the adventitia. The responses of the isolated ureters were identical, making a sharp contrast to the observations in the in vivo studies.
