Adrenergic innervation and adrenergic mechanisms. A study of the human urethra.

Adrenergic nerves studied by a histochemical method were uniformly distributed along the whole extent of the male and female urethra. Corresponding to the adrenergic innervation a preponderance of contraction-mediating alpha-adrenoceptors was found in vitro studying urethral strips and in vivo recording the urethral closure pressure profile (UCPP). Norephedrine significantly reduced incontinence and increased UCPP in stress-incontinent women.