Publication
Title
Adrenergic signaling elements in the bladder wall of the adult rat
Author
Abstract
A growing body of work is describing the absence of a significant sympathetic innervation of the detrusor implying little sympathetic regulation of bladder contractility. However, low doses of adrenergic agonists are capable of relaxing the bladder smooth muscle. If these effects underpin a physiological response then the cellular nature and operation of this system are currently unknown. The present immunohistochemistry study was done to explore the existence of alternative adrenergic signaling elements in the rat bladder wall. Using antibodies to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and vesicular mono-amine transporter (vmat), few adrenergic nerves were found in the detrusor although TH immunoreactive (IR) nerves were apparent in the bladder neck. TH-IR and vmat-IR nerves were however abundant surrounding blood vessels. A population of vmat-IR cells was found within the network of interstitial cells that surround the detrusor muscle bundles. These vmat-IR cells were not or only weakly TH-IR This suggests that these interstitial cells have the capacity to store and release catecholamines that may involve noradrenaline. Cells expressing the beta(1)-adrenoceptor (beta(1)AR-IR) were also detected within the interstitial cell network. Double staining with antibodies to beta(1)AR and vmat suggests that the majority of vmat-IR interstitial cells show beta(1)AR-IR indicative of an autocrine signaling system. In conclusion, a population of interstitial cells has the machinery to store, release and respond to catecholamines. Thus, there might exist a non-neuronal beta-adrenergic system operating in the bladder wall possibly linked to one component of motor activity, micro-contractions, a system that may be involved in mechanisms underpinning bladder sensation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Autonomic neuroscience: basic and clinical. - Amsterdam
Publication
Amsterdam : 2016
ISSN
1566-0702
DOI
10.1016/J.AUTNEU.2016.09.002
Volume/pages
201 (2016) , p. 40-48
ISI
000389110500006
Pubmed ID
27659399
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 10.01.2017
Last edited 09.10.2023
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