RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Pudendal, but not tibial, nerve stimulation modulates vulvar blood perfusion in anesthetized rodents
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2022.03.05.483101
DO 10.1101/2022.03.05.483101
A1 Elizabeth C. Bottorff
A1 Tim M. Bruns
YR 2022
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/06/18/2022.03.05.483101.abstract
AB Background Preclinical studies have shown that neuromodulation can increase vaginal blood perfusion, but the effect on vulvar blood perfusion is unknown.Aim Our goal was to investigate whether pudendal or tibial nerve stimulation can evoke an increase in vulvar blood perfusion.Methods We used female Sprague-Dawley rats for non-survival procedures under urethane anesthesia. We measured perineal blood perfusion in response to twenty-minute periods of pudendal and tibial nerve stimulation using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI). After a thoracic-level spinalization and a rest period, we repeated each stimulation trial.Outcomes We calculated average blood perfusion before, during, and after stimulation for three perineal regions (vulva, anus, and inner thigh), for each nerve target and spinal cord condition.Results We observed a significant increase in vulvar, anal, and inner thigh blood perfusion during pudendal nerve stimulation in spinally intact and spinalized rats. Tibial nerve stimulation had no effect on perineal blood perfusion for both spinally intact and spinalized rats.Clinical Implications This study provides further support for neuromodulation as a treatment for women with sexual arousal disorders.Strengths and Limitations This is the first study to examine vulvar hemodynamics with LSCI in response to nerve stimulation. Studies in unanesthetized animal models with genital arousal disorders are needed to obtain further insights into the mechanisms of neural control over genital hemodynamics.Conclusion This study demonstrates that pudendal nerve stimulation modulates vulvar blood perfusion, indicating the potential of pudendal neuromodulation to improve genital blood flow as a treatment for women with sexual dysfunction.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.