Alterations in neural pathways to the urinary bladder of the rat in response to streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Voiding dysfunction in diabetics has been attributed to a variety of causes including an axonopathy in autonomic pathways to the urinary bladder. The present study was undertaken to determine whether changes occurred in afferent and efferent neurons supplying bladders of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Nine weeks after STZ treatment, the mean cross-sectional area for retrogradely labeled (Fluoro-Gold) bladder neurons in the major pelvic ganglion (MPG) was greater in diabetics (364 microns 2) than controls (300 microns 2).