The role of the mucosa in normal and abnormal bladder function

Fry, Christopher H.; Fry, Chris; Vahabi, Bahareh

Abstract

© 2016 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society) The internal face of the detrusor smooth muscle wall of the urinary bladder is covered by a mucosa, separating muscle from the hostile environment of urine. However, the mucosa is more than a very low permeability structure and offers a sensory function that monitors the extent of bladder filling and composition of the urine. The mucosa may be considered as a single functional structure and comprises a tight epithelial layer under which is a basement membrane and lamina propria. The latter region itself is a complex of afferent nerves, blood vessels, interstitial cells and in some species including human beings a muscularis mucosae. Stress on the bladder wall through physical or chemical stressors elicits release of chemicals, such as ATP, acetylcholine, prostaglandins and nitric oxide that modulate the activity of either afferent nerves or the muscular components of the bladder wall. The release and responses are graded so that the mucosa forms a dynamic sensory structure, and there is evidence that the gain of this system is increased in pathologies such as overactive bladder and bladder pain syndrome. This system therefore potentially provides a number of drug targets against these conditions, once a number of fundamental questions are answered. These include how is mediator release regulated; what are the intermediate roles of interstitial cells that surround afferent nerves and blood vessels; and what is the mode of communication between urothelium and muscle – by diffusion of mediators or by cell-to-cell communication?.

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: May 23, 2016
• Online Publication Date: May 26, 2016
• Publication Date: Oct 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jun 1, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: May 27, 2017
• Journal: Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Print ISSN: 1742-7835
• Electronic ISSN: 1742-7843
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 119
• Issue: 53
• Pages: 57-62
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bcpt.12626
• Keywords: bladder, mucosa, spontaneous contractions, sensory signalling, sensory mediators
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/918939
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bcpt.12626
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Fry, C. and Vahabi, B. (2016) The role of the mucosa in normal and abnormal bladder function. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bcpt.12626. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
• Contract Date: Aug 10, 2016