[Myofibroblasts and afferent signalling in the urinary bladder. A concept]
J Neuhaus1, U Scholler, K Freick
1Klinik und Poliklinik für Urologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR, Leipzig, Deutschland. jochen.neuhaus@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Der Urologe. Ausg. A
|August 6, 2008
Summary
Suburothelial myofibroblasts in the urinary bladder exhibit spontaneous activity and respond to stimuli, playing a key role in bladder afferent signaling. Their function can be modulated by cytokines, potentially contributing to bladder dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Cell Biology
- Neuroscience
Context:
- Afferent signal transduction in the urinary bladder involves complex interactions between urothelium, suburothelial myofibroblasts, and sensory nerves.
- The precise role of myofibroblasts in bladder sensory signaling remains incompletely understood.
Purpose:
- To investigate the functional characteristics of suburothelial myofibroblasts in the urinary bladder.
- To elucidate the involvement of myofibroblasts in bladder afferent signaling pathways.
Summary:
- Suburothelial myofibroblasts express muscarinic and purinergic receptors and display constitutive spontaneous calcium activity dependent on extracellular calcium.
- Stimulation with carbachol and ATP evokes calcium transients in myofibroblasts, also reliant on extracellular calcium.
- Cellular coupling is reduced by TGF-beta 1, suggesting cytokine modulation of myofibroblast function.
Impact:
- Myofibroblasts are identified as key cellular components in urinary bladder afferent signaling.
- These findings suggest that myofibroblasts possess all necessary features to interact with urothelial cells and sensory nerves.
- Modulation of myofibroblast function by cytokines presents a potential pathomechanism for bladder dysfunction.
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