Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Smooth Muscle Contraction

Smooth Muscle Contraction

Smooth muscle contraction is a complex process vital for various bodily functions, from maintaining blood vessel tension to facilitating the movement of food through the digestive tract. Unlike striated muscles, smooth muscle contraction begins more slowly and lasts longer.
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...

Muscle Contraction

Muscle Contraction

Muscle Contraction

Muscle Contraction

In skeletal muscles, acetylcholine is released by nerve terminals at the motor endplate—the point of synaptic communication between motor neurons and muscle fibers. The binding of acetylcholine to its receptors on the sarcolemma allows entry of sodium ions into the cell and triggers an action potential in the muscle cell. Thus, electrical signals from the brain are transmitted to the muscle. Subsequently, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine to prevent excessive muscle...

Isotonic and Isometric Muscle Contractions

Isotonic and Isometric Muscle Contractions

Two primary types of muscle contractions are isotonic and isometric, each serving unique functions and involving distinct mechanisms. Both isotonic and isometric contractions are integral to the body's complex system of movement and stability. Isotonic exercises contribute significantly to functional strength and movement, while isometric contractions are crucial for maintaining posture and joint stability.
Isotonic contractions
Isotonic contractions occur when a muscle changes length while the...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Corrigendum to "Targeting Staphylococcus aureus with potent de novo-designed proline-core short antimicrobial lipopeptides" [Eur. J. Med. Chem. 310 (2026) 118784].

European journal of medicinal chemistry·2026

Same author

Bionicohand: a collaborative, open-source myoelectric prosthetic hand designed with and for its user.

Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation·2026

Same author

Targeting Staphylococcus aureus with potent de novo-designed proline-core short antimicrobial lipopeptides.

European journal of medicinal chemistry·2026

Same author

Foot-and-mouth disease virus-derived dendrimer peptides induce germinal center-dependent antibody responses and IgG1 plasma cell differentiation in mice.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Restoring hand grasping for patients with a complete tetraplegia with selective epineural stimulation: a parsimonious thus relevant clinical approach.

Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation·2026

Same author

Mechanism of μ-opioid receptor inhibition by orphan GPR88.

Pharmacological research·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology

Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology

Published on: August 18, 2014

Smooth muscle modeling and experimental identification: application to bladder isometric contraction.

Jérémy Laforêt¹, David Guiraud¹, David Andreu¹

¹INRIA-University of Montpellier 2, DEMAR-LIRMM, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.

Journal of Neural Engineering

|May 13, 2011

Summary

This study introduces a novel smooth muscle model for lower urinary tract simulations. The model accurately predicts bladder pressure changes and internal cell dynamics during contractions.

More Related Videos

A Decentralized (Ex Vivo) Murine Bladder Model with the Detrusor Muscle Removed for Direct Access to the Suburothelium during Bladder Filling

A Decentralized (Ex Vivo) Murine Bladder Model with the Detrusor Muscle Removed for Direct Access to the Suburothelium during Bladder Filling

Published on: November 28, 2019

Urinary Bladder Distention Evoked Visceromotor Responses as a Model for Bladder Pain in Mice

Urinary Bladder Distention Evoked Visceromotor Responses as a Model for Bladder Pain in Mice

Published on: April 27, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology

Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology

Published on: August 18, 2014

A Decentralized (Ex Vivo) Murine Bladder Model with the Detrusor Muscle Removed for Direct Access to the Suburothelium during Bladder Filling

A Decentralized (Ex Vivo) Murine Bladder Model with the Detrusor Muscle Removed for Direct Access to the Suburothelium during Bladder Filling

Published on: November 28, 2019

Urinary Bladder Distention Evoked Visceromotor Responses as a Model for Bladder Pain in Mice

Urinary Bladder Distention Evoked Visceromotor Responses as a Model for Bladder Pain in Mice

Published on: April 27, 2014

Area of Science:

Physiology
Biophysics
Computational Biology

Background:

Smooth muscle models are crucial for understanding lower urinary tract function.
Existing models may not fully capture the complex dynamics of bladder contraction.
Accurate modeling aids in predicting and managing urinary tract conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

To present an original smooth muscle model based on the Huxley approach.
To integrate this model into a comprehensive lower urinary tract model for simulation.
To validate the model using experimental data from rabbit bladders.

Main Methods:

Developed a smooth muscle model using the Huxley microscopic approach.
Integrated the model into a lower urinary tract simulation framework.
Estimated model parameters using intravesical pressure measurements during isometric contractions in rabbits.
Used electrical stimulation to synchronize experimental and simulation data.

Main Results:

The model accurately follows pressure changes induced by artificial stimuli in isometric contractions.
Identified a subset of four critical parameters for accurate model fitting.
The model provides insights into intracellular calcium concentration and actin-myosin dynamics.
Preliminary experimental data support the model's predictive capabilities.

Conclusions:

The developed smooth muscle model is a valuable component of lower urinary tract simulations.
Accurate identification of key parameters is essential for reliable model performance.
The model offers a mechanistic understanding of cellular processes during bladder contraction.
This approach facilitates the integration of experimental and simulation data for physiological studies.