Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Kit positive cells in the guinea pig bladder.

Karen D McCloskey1, Alison M Gurney

  • 1Centre for Biophotonics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

The Journal of Urology
|July 20, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are present in guinea pig bladders, associated with smooth muscle bundles and nerves. These cells exhibit spontaneous activity and Ca2+ waves, suggesting a role as pacemakers.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Investigation of image-guided in vivo irradiation on voiding patterns and bladder contractility in female mice.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Combining In Vivo Two-Photon and Laser Speckle Microscopy With the Ex Vivo Capillary-Parenchymal Arteriole Preparation as a Novel Approach to Study Neurovascular Coupling.

Microcirculation (New York, N.Y. : 1994)·2025
Same author

Can the Bladder Itself "Measure" Volume, and Thereby Help to Determine When Initiation of Voiding Should Occur? ICI-RS 2024.

Neurourology and urodynamics·2024
Same author

What do we really know about the external urethral sphincter?

Continence (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2024
Same author

Development of CD33-Targeted Dual Drug-Loaded Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Biomacromolecules·2024
Same author

Human <i>HPSE2</i> gene transfer ameliorates bladder pathophysiology in a mutant mouse model of urofacial syndrome.

eLife·2024

Area of Science:

  • Urology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are crucial for gastrointestinal motility.
  • Their role in other hollow organs, like the bladder, is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize ICC in the guinea pig bladder wall.
  • To investigate the functional properties and associations of bladder ICC.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemistry using c-kit and smooth muscle myosin antibodies.
  • Confocal laser scanning microscopy of fluo-4-loaded cells.
  • Enzymatic cell dispersion and functional assays.

Main Results:

  • ICC, identified by c-kit, are located along smooth muscle bundles in the guinea pig bladder.
  • ICC show close associations with nerve fibers.
  • Dispersed ICC exhibit spontaneous Ca2+ waves and respond to carbachol.

Conclusions:

  • ICC are strategically positioned within the bladder wall to influence smooth muscle function.
  • Bladder ICC may act as pacemakers or modulate neurotransmission to smooth muscle.
  • These findings highlight ICC's potential role in bladder physiology.

Related Experiment Videos