Penile pressures and muscle activity associated with erection and ejaculation in the dog

Abstract

A needle-tipped polyvinyl catheter or subminiature pressure transducer was implanted in the corpus cavernosum penis (CCP), corpus spongiosum penis (CSP), or bulbus glandis to determine the pressure during coitus in 42 dogs. Silver ring electrodes were implanted in the ischiocavernosus (IC) and bulbospongiosus (BS) muscles to monitor the electromyographic (EMG) activity of these muscles. The CCP pressure increased from 26 mmHg in the quiescent state to 161 mmHg at mild erection of the penis in the presence of a receptive female. During the intromission phase of coitus, the mean peak CCP pressure was 5,296 mmHg in the dogs with implanted catheters and 7,434 mmHg in the dogs with implanted transducers. The CCP pressure peaks during intromission were more in phase with the contractile activity of the IC muscles than with the BS muscles. Anesthesia of IC muscles with lidocaine significantly reduced the CCP pressures and the dogs with low pressures were unable to copulate because of insufficient erection for intromission, which indicated that the IC muscles were the source of energy for the high CCP pressure. The mean peak CSP and bulbus glandis pressures during the intromission phase of coitus were 579 and 1280 mmHg, respectively. The contractile activity of the BS muscles was in phase with the CSP pressure peaks. Anesthesia of BS muscles with lidocaine reduced the peak CSP and bulbus glandis pressures during attempted coitus. The mean rupture pressure of the CCP was 86,615 mmHg.