The effect of pharmacological stimulation and blockade of autonomic receptors on the urethral pressure and power generation during coughing and squeezing of the pelvic floor in healthy females.

The effect of autonomic receptor agonists and antagonists on the urethral pressure and power generation during coughing and squeezing of the pelvic floor has been evaluated in 30 healthy females. The measurements were carried out at the bladder neck, in the high pressure zone, and distally in the urethra. The used drugs (noradrenaline, prazosin, terbutaline, propranolol, carbachol and atropine) caused no significant change in the pressure and power generation. The clinically relevant influence of drugs on the urethral closure function should be re-appraised when based on profilometry in the resting state. The results support that the effect of the autonomic nervous system on the urethral closure function is insignificant in healthy women. They furthermore indicate that investigations on the ability to secure continence cannot be based solely on resting pressure profilometry, but should be accomplished by measurements during stress episodes.