Picrotoxin, an antagonist for -aminobutyric acid receptor subtype A (GABA_A), was used to investigate the role of GABA_A receptors in nociceptive and non-nociceptive reflex bladder activities and pudendal inhibition of these activities in cats under α-chloralose anesthesia. Acetic acid (AA, 0.25%) was used to irritate the bladder and induce nociceptive bladder overactivity, while saline was used to distend the bladder and induce non-nociceptive bladder activity. To modulate the bladder reflex pudendal nerve stimulation (PNS) was applied at multiple threshold (T) intensities for inducing anal sphincter twitching. AA irritation significantly (p<0.01) reduced bladder capacity to 34.3±7.1% of the saline control capacity; while PNS at 2T and 4T significantly (p<0.01) increased AA bladder capacity to 84.0±7.8% and 93.2±15.0%, respectively, of the saline control. Picrotoxin (0.4 mg, i.t.) did not change AA bladder capacity but completely removed PNS inhibition of AA-induced bladder overactivity. Picrotoxin (i.v.) only increased AA bladder capacity at a high dose (0.3 mg/kg) but significantly (p<0.05) reduced 2T PNS inhibition at low doses (0.01-0.1 mg/kg). During saline cystometry, PNS significantly (p<0.01) increased bladder capacity to 147.0±7.6% at 2T and 172.7±8.9% at 4T of control capacity; and picrotoxin (0.4 mg, i.t. or 0.03-0.3 mg/kg, i.v.) also significantly (p<0.05) increased bladder capacity. However, picrotoxin treatment did not alter PNS inhibition during saline infusion. These results indicate that spinal GABA_A receptors have different roles in controlling nociceptive and non-nociceptive reflex bladder activities and in PNS inhibition of these activities.