Vaginal Distension Research Articles

Hydrocolpos, vaginal atresia, and urethrovaginal fistula in a neonate: Abdomino-perineal-vaginal pull-through

The combination of high maternal estrogenic stimulation of the secretory glands of the reproductive tract of the newborn female and vaginal obstruction results in an abdominal mass due to vaginal distention (hydrocolpos). Prior experience with two infants with hydrocolpos (LG) 1 led us to perform abdominoperineal-vaginal pull-through, as advocated by Ramenofsky and Raffensperger, 2 in the newborn period. So far as we can ascertain this is only the second infant so reported in the literature.

Increasing uterine response to vaginal distension during late pregnancy in sheep.

Intrauterine pressure changes were monitored in 5 pregnant ewes and uterine venous prostaglandin (PG) F concentrations were determined after distension of the vagina. Uterine contractility and utero-ovarian PGF concentrations were elevated by vaginal distension and the magnitude of both effects increased as parturition approached.

Excitation of supraoptic neurones by vaginal distention in lactating rats; correlation with neurohypophysial hormone release

Excitation of supraoptic neurones by vaginal distention in lactating rats; correlation with neurohypophysial hormone release

Temporal relationship between changes in oxytocin and prostaglandin F levels in response to vaginal distension in the pregnant and puerperal ewe.

To investigate the rôle of oxytocin in the increase in utero-ovarian venous prostaglandin F (PGF) level caused by vaginal distension, jugular venous oxytocin and utero-ovarian venous PGF were measured simultaneously in one sheep in late pregnancy and in one sheep shortly before parturition. Vaginal distension raised oxytocin and PGF levels in both animals and oxytocin levels increased before those of PGF. These findings support the suggestion that the elevated PGF levels resulting from vaginal distension are caused by the reflex secretion of oxytocin.

Control of utero-ovarian venous prostaglandin F during labour in the sheep: acute effects of vaginal and cervical stimulation.

SUMMARY Simultaneous measurements of prostaglandin F, total unconjugated oestrogens and progesterone have been made in utero-ovarian venous or posterior vena caval plasma from pregnant ewes during parturition. In all cases, levels of oestrogens and prostaglandin F increased before delivery, after a decrease in the level of progesterone. In four out of six sheep, during both spontaneous and dexamethasone-induced labour, increases in the levels of oestrogens and prostaglandin F occurred in parallel. In the other two animals, levels of prostaglandin F increased before those of oestrogens. The increases in prostaglandin F consistently preceded any measurable increase in uterine activity, suggesting levels were not raised as a consequence of labour. Infusion of oestrogen to two dexamethasone-treated animals resulted in increased utero-ovarian venous prostaglandin F levels within 2–3 h. These findings support previous evidence indicating that levels of prostaglandin F may be controlled by oestrogen and progesterone. Manual examination of the cervix, with associated distension of the vagina, resulted in dramatic increases in the level of utero-ovarian venous prostaglandin F during the last 13 h of gestation, both in dexamethasone-induced labour and in labour of natural onset. Since expulsion of the foetus also results in vaginal distension, this finding raises the possibility that the very high levels of prostaglandin F observed at delivery may be caused by tactile stimulation of the vagina.

Divergent effects of infused progesterone on the reflexive release of oxytocin in ovariectomized goats variously treated with 17beta-estradiol.

Progesterone, infused for 30 and 60 min at 50 µg/min, was found to reduce significantly the amount of oxytocin released in response to vaginal distention stimuli in intact goats and in ovariectomized goats treated continuously with 17β-estradiol from the time of surgery. Identical infusions in goats not treated with estradiol following ovariectomy, however, failed to suppress the reflex. Indeed, the infused steroid actually enhanced die oxytocin-releasing response to vaginal distention stimuli. Subsequent estrogen therapy failed to revive the suppressive action of infused progesterone in these animals. Instead, a significant facilitative effect persisted. These findings suggest, first, that progesterone may have both an inhibitory and a facilitative mode of action on the oxytocinreleasing reflex in intact goats and, second, that the integrity of the inhibitory component may depend upon an uninterrupted exposure of the animal to estrogen. (Endocrinology94:1531, 1974)

Reflex activation of paraventricular nucleus units during the reproductive cycle and in ovariectomized rats treated with oestrogen or progesterone.

SUMMARY Three hundred and seventy-seven neurones in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were antidromically identified in female rats during various stages of the reproductive cycle and in ovariectomized rats with or without oestrogen or progesterone pretreatment. The units were tested for their responses to vaginal distension and pinching of the foot. Unit responses to vaginal distension varied during the oestrous cycle, pregnancy and lactation. The percentages of PVN units recorded at each stage which increased their firing rate in response to vaginal distension were 64·1% in pro-oestrus, 56·7% in oestrus, 33·3% in metoestrus, 42·4% in dioestrus, 6·9% in mid-pregnancy (day 12) which was significantly lower than in any other stage or condition, 72·0% at full term, 55·5% immediately (<24 h) after parturition and 40·0% during lactation. Furthermore, when tested in mid-pregnancy, there was a period of interruption of spontaneous firing in 13·8% of PVN units during vaginal distension. The percentage of units which increased their firing rate during vaginal distension in ovariectomized rats was 42·4% and in ovariectomized, oestrogen-treated rats was 69·2% and thus significantly higher. While the percentage in progesterone-treated rats (35·1%) was not significantly different from that in ovariectomized rats, it was significantly lower than in the oestrogen-treated group. In addition, 18·9% of the units had a period of interruption of spontaneous firing in response to vaginal distension constituting the only group besides the mid-pregnancy group in which this was observed. Pinching the foot also excited PVN unit activity in some cases. It was more frequently evoked by pinching a foot contralateral to the PVN nucleus from which the recording was taken. The response to stimulation of the ipsilateral foot was weaker or absent. The responsiveness of PVN units to pinching varied throughout the reproductive cycle as well as in ovariectomized rats with or without treatment with oestrogen or progesterone. The pattern of variation was dissimilar from that observed after vaginal distension and the magnitude of variation was smaller. Interruption of spontaneous firing was observed in seven different groups.

Functional integrity of the oxytocin-releasing reflex in goats: dependence on estrogen.

To examine the hypothesis that a recent history of exposure to estrogen is essential if vaginal distention stimuli are to effect an increase in the rate of release of oxytocin from the neurohypophysis, the relative responsiveness of this distention reflex was assessed in intact goats and in ovariectomized goats bearing Silastic capsules containing 17β-estradiol. In intact, seasonally responsive animals, vaginal distention increased the level of oxytocin in jugular venous blood from a resting value of 2.6 ± 0.4 to 77.2 ± 15.8 μU/ml plasma (mean it SEM). After ovariectomy, the reflex retained function only if the animals were treated with estradiol from the time of surgery. If not treated, the stimulated increase fell significantly to 33.5 ± 4.9 nμ/ml 10 to 24 days after the operation. Later, the reflex became completely unresponsive and remained so indefinitely in the absence of estradiol therapy. When estradiol therapy was instituted in such cases, responsiveness returned slowly. Only after 3 months of co...

Progesterone-inhibition of oxytocin release during vaginal distention: evidence for a central site of action.

In alternate experiments with each of 6 unanesthetized, mature female goats, progesterone was infused for 60 min into either the lateral cerebral ventricle (2 or 10 μg/min) or the jugular vein (10 or 50 μg/min). Oxytocic activity in chromatographed extracts of plasma was measured by the Ryden-Sjoholm bioassay. Immediately before progesterone was infused, vaginal distention increased the concentration of oxytocin in venous blood from a resting level of 3.1 ± 0.3 to 46.8 ± 9.4 μU/ml plasma (mean ± SEM). At the end of each infusion, the distention stimulus induced a relatively smaller increase in plasma oxytocin. The size of the decrement in response was linearly related, with significant slope, to the logarithm of the infusion rate of progesterone regardless of the route of administration but, comparing equal doses, the central route was 5.75 times more effective than the peripheral route with fiducial limits of 2.82 and 12.36 at the 99.5% confidence level. The infusion vehicle (a mixture of propylene glyco...

Seasonal variations in the reflexive release of oxytocin and in the effect of estradiol on the reflex in goats.

In a total of 142 experiments performed over a 3-year period, the amount of oxytocin released in response to vaginal distention was found to vary with the time of year. Stimulation increased plasma oxytocin by 41.7 ± 6.7 (SE) μU/ml in the 74 experiments performed during Dec-May, but by only 11.0 ± 2.2 u,U/ml in the 68 experiments performed during Jun-Nov. In the latter period, a high frequency of animals failed entirely to respond to distention. Hour-long infusions of estradiol (5-100 μg/hr) significantly potentiated oxytocin release in responsive animals but uniformly failed to activate the reflex in the 25 unresponsive cases tested. The relative frequency of animals responsive to distention appeared to have a sinusoidal distribution with annual period and a phase which followed that of the annual breeding cycle by about 4-5 months. An hypothetical explanation for this distribution in responsiveness, based partly upon the seasonally related, divergent effects of estradiol on oxytocin release is presented...

Inhibition by progesterone of oxytocin secretion during vaginal stimulation.

Progesterone was administered intravenously for 60 min periods to mature female goats. Immediately before the steroid was infused, vaginal distention increased the concentration of oxytocin in jugular vein blood from 3.7 ±0.4 (mean ±SE) to 36.8 ±6.9 µU/ml plasma. At the end of the infusion, distention induced relatively smaller increases. The size of the decrement in response was linearly related to the logarithm of the infusion rate of progesterone over a range of 5–50 µg/min. Since pregnant goats reportedly secrete progesterone from their ovaries at rates approaching this range, circulating progesterone may prove to be a physiological determinant of posterior pituitary function insofar as it suppresses the release of oxytocin occasioned by genital stimulation. (Endocrinology 87: 812, 1970)

Effects of progesterone and estrogen on blood levels of oxytocin during vaginal distention.

Normally cycling ewes were treated with intramuscular injections of either progesterone or estradiol dipropionate. Daily injections of progesterone (50 mg in oil) diminished the amount of oxytocin that appeared in jugular vein blood when the vagina was distended with an air-filled balloon. Before treatment, distention increased plasma oxytocin from a prestimulated level of 7 + 1 (mean ±se) to 24 ± 6 μU/ml. After 1 week, the plasma oxytocin level increased from 6 ± 1 to 15 ± 8 μU/ml when the vagina was distended. After 2 weeks of progesterone treatment, no significant increase in plasma oxytocin occurred during the vaginal distention. On the other hand, twice weekly injections of estradiol dipropionate led to marked elevations in the amount of oxytocin appearing in the blood during vaginal distention. From a resting level of 5 ± 1 μU/ml, stimulation increased plasma oxytocin concentration to 87 ± 16 μU/ml in animals treated for 1 week and to 138 ± 53 μU/ml in animals treated for 2 weeks. Several interpreta...

Oxytocin in plasma of pregnant, lactating and cycling ewes during vaginal stimulation.

A method for extracting and concentrating oxytocin from blood, combined with a sensitive bioassay for oxytocin performed on the isolated rat mammary strip, was utilized to determine the effect of vaginal distention on the level of oxytocin in the plasma of lactating, pregnant and normally cycling ewes. Before distention, plasma of lactating and cycling ewes contained about 6 μU oxytocin/ml plasma. The plasma oxytocin concentration increased by 133 ± 29 % (mean ±SE) and 123 ±16%, respectively, in those 2 groups of animals during the first minute of stimulation. In pregnant animals, by contrast, the plasma oxytocin titer decreased 48 ± 5 % from a control level of 11 ±2 μU/ml plasma. The conclusion that some factor peculiar to pregnancy interferes with the reflex release of oxytocin in response to vaginal stimulation is discussed. (Endocrinology 83: 272, 1968)

Effect of distension of uterus and vagina on uterine motility and oxytocin release in puerperal rabbits.

ABSTRACT Uterine responses during distension of either the corpus, cervix or vagina were recorded in conscious, unrestrained rabbits at various times (from 1 h to 8 d) after parturition. The recordings were taken by means of a previously inserted intra-uterine balloon. For comparison, responses to intravenously injected oxytocin and adrenaline were also recorded. There was no indication of a reflex release of oxytocin during these procedures. Distension of either one whole horn with up to 200 ml or one cervix with up to 80 ml of water failed to augment the contractions of the other horn, except in a few cases, when small but uncharacteristic changes in the uterine motility occurred. Vaginal distension produced uterine responses similar to that elicited by adrenaline. Distension of the genital tract is thus considered an inadequate stimulus for reflex release of oxytocin in the rabbit. However, the sensitivity of the method is such that the liberation of smaller amounts than 5 mU cannot be excluded.

Reflex release of an oxytocic hormone by stimulation of genital organs in male and female sheep studied by a cross-circulation technique.

SUMMARY Cross-circulation experiments were carried out using either two lactating ewes (six experiments) or one sexually mature ram and one lactating ewe (seven experiments). Under local anaesthesia an anastomosis was established by means of two plastic tubes between a jugular vein of one animal (A) and a jugular vein of the second animal (B) in each pair. The other jugular veins were clamped. Vaginal distension performed in ewe A by means of an inflated balloon often caused a sharp rise of pressure in the udder cisterns of ewe B after a minimum latency of 30 sec. Many pressure curves could be obtained successively in the same preparation by repeating the vaginal distension stimulus. Massage of the seminal vesicles and ampullae of the ram often caused a sharp pressure rise in the udder of the ewe after a minimum lag period of 30 sec. This effect could be obtained several times with the same preparation, but considerable individual variation was observed between the different rams used. Massage of the seminal vesicles and ampullae induced emission in many cases but not always. Intravenous injection of a synthetic oxytocin, Syntocinon (500–1000 mu.), in the ram or distension of the vagina in the ewe failed to elicit emission. Pressure responses were induced by injection of suitable doses of Syntocinon into the plastic tube leading to the ewe in which the cistern pressure was recorded, after a latency of approx. 30 sec. It may be concluded that vaginal distension in the ewe causes the discharge of a hormone from the head. A similar phenomenon occurs in the ram after massage of the seminal vesicles and ampullae. These effects are not abolished by atropine. It is postulated that this hormone is oxytocin in both sexes. The amount of hormone released after one stimulus was usually equivalent to 40–100 mu. oxytocin in the ram and 20–50 mu. oxytocin in the ewe.

Observations on the Neurophysiology of Sexual Function in the Male Cat

No AccessJournal of Urology1 Dec 1938Observations on the Neurophysiology of Sexual Function in the Male Cat James H. Semans, and Orthello R. Langworthy James H. SemansJames H. Semans More articles by this author , and Orthello R. LangworthyOrthello R. Langworthy More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5347(17)71825-3AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail © 1938 by The American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited BySHAFIK A and EL-SIBAI O (2018) EFFECT OF VAGINAL DISTENTION ON VESICOURETHRAL FUNCTION WITH IDENTIFICATION OF THE VAGINO-VESICOURETHRAL REFLEXJournal of Urology, VOL. 165, NO. 3, (887-889), Online publication date: 1-Mar-2001.Kihara K, Sato K, Ando M, Sato T and Oshima H (2018) Ability of Each Lumbar Splanchnic Nerve and Disability of Thoracic Ones to Generate Seminal Emission in the DogJournal of Urology, VOL. 147, NO. 1, (260-263), Online publication date: 1-Jan-1992.Bosch R, Benard F, Aboseif S, Stief C, Lue T and Tanagho E (2018) Penile Detumescence: Characterization of Three PhasesJournal of Urology, VOL. 146, NO. 3, (867-871), Online publication date: 1-Sep-1991.Kihara K, Sato K, Ando M, Sato T and Oshima H (2018) Lumbosacral Sympathetic Trunk as a Compensatory Pathway for Seminal Emission After Bilateral Hypogastric Nerve Transections in the DogJournal of Urology, VOL. 145, NO. 3, (640-643), Online publication date: 1-Mar-1991.Diederichs W, Stief C, Lue T and Tanagho E (2018) Norepinephrine Involvement in Penile DetumescenceJournal of Urology, VOL. 143, NO. 6, (1264-1266), Online publication date: 1-Jun-1990.Lavoisier P, Proulx J, Courtois F and De Carufel F (2018) Bulbocavernosus Reflex: Its Validity as a Diagnostic Test of Neurogenic ImpotenceJournal of Urology, VOL. 141, NO. 2, (311-314), Online publication date: 1-Feb-1989.Quinlan D, Nelson R, Partin A, Mostwin J and Walsh P (2018) The Rat as a Model for the Study of Penile ErectionJournal of Urology, VOL. 141, NO. 3 Part 1, (656-661), Online publication date: 1-Mar-1989.Andersson P, Björnberg J, Bloom S and Mellander S (2018) Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide in Relation to Penile Erection in the Cat Evoked by Pelvic and by Hypogastric Nerve StimulationJournal of Urology, VOL. 138, NO. 2, (419-422), Online publication date: 1-Aug-1987.Bennett C, Seager S and Mcguire E (2018) Electrocoagulation for Recovery of Semen After Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection: Case ReportJournal of Urology, VOL. 137, NO. 3, (513-515), Online publication date: 1-Mar-1987.Lepor H and Kuhar M (2018) Characterization of Muscarinic Cholinergic Receptor Binding in the Vas Deferens, Bladder, Prostate and Penis of the RabbitJournal of Urology, VOL. 132, NO. 2, (392-396), Online publication date: 1-Aug-1984.Lepor H and Kuhar M (2018) Characterization and Localization of the Muscarinic Cholinergic Receptor in Human Prostatic TissueJournal of Urology, VOL. 132, NO. 2, (397-402), Online publication date: 1-Aug-1984.Steers W, McConnell J and Benson G (2018) Anatomical Localization and Some Pharmacological Effects of Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide in Human and Monkey Corpus CavernosumJournal of Urology, VOL. 132, NO. 5, (1048-1053), Online publication date: 1-Nov-1984.Narayan P, Lange P and Fraley E (2018) Ejaculation and Fertility After Extended Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Testicular CancerJournal of Urology, VOL. 127, NO. 4, (685-688), Online publication date: 1-Apr-1982.Blaivas J, O’Donnell T, Gottlieb P and Labib K (2018) Comprehensive Laboratory Evaluation of Impotent MenJournal of Urology, VOL. 124, NO. 2, (201-204), Online publication date: 1-Aug-1980.Nanninga J, Rosen J and O’Conor V (2018) Transurethral External Sphincterotomy and its Effect on PotencyJournal of Urology, VOL. 118, NO. 3, (395-396), Online publication date: 1-Sep-1977.W.E.B. 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Volume 40Issue 6December 1938Page: 836-846 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 1938 by The American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information James H. Semans More articles by this author Orthello R. Langworthy More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Loading ...