The effect of stimulating the mechanoreceptors in the urinary bladder on the striated musculature report III. The effect of stimulating the mechanoreceptors in the urinary bladder on the electrical activity of the muscle antagonists

Summary

In acute experiments on cats a study was made of the reflex changes occurring in the electric activity of muscle antagonists (semitendinosus and quadriceps, sternoglossus and cleido-trapezoid). As demonstrated, the muscle antagonists react in the same way in response to the stimulation of mechanoreceptors of the urinary bladder: the activity of muscles located far from the stimulation sites (flexors and extensors of the neck) decreases at the same rate in response to all adequate stimuli. In the antagonists of the adjacent areas (flexors and extensors of the posterior extremity) it diminishes to an equal degree in response to weak stimulation; but increases in response to stong stimuli. However, in individual experiments there may appear variations either at the threshold marking origination of the electric activity changes in various muscle antagonists, or at those incidents to the phase transition of the changes.