Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors
12:27

A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors

Published on: June 8, 2022

Evaluating the significance of cyclic adenosine monophosphate-mediated signaling in human prostate: a functional and

George T Kedia1, Stefan Ückert, Hamiyet Polat

  • 1Division of Surgery, Department of Urology and Urological Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. sue_de_99@yahoo.de

Urology
|August 21, 2012
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway plays a significant role in controlling prostate smooth muscle function. This study investigated its relevance, finding that cAMP signaling is crucial for regulating prostate smooth muscle tension.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Urology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway is a potential therapeutic target for lower urinary tract dysfunctions.
  • Limited research exists on the physiological role of cAMP signaling in human prostate function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To further investigate the significance of the cAMP pathway in regulating prostate smooth muscle.
  • To explore the therapeutic potential of targeting the cAMP pathway for prostate-related conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Isolated phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity from prostatic microsomal fractions for biochemical analysis.
  • Utilized organ bath techniques to assess the effects of PDE4 inhibitors (e.g., rolipram) and PDE5 inhibitors (e.g., sildenafil) on norepinephrine-induced prostate smooth muscle tension.
  • Compared the efficacy of various PDE inhibitors and a soluble guanylyl cyclase activator.

Main Results:

  • Biochemical analysis identified PDE activity sensitive to papaverine and PDE4 inhibitors.
  • PDE4 inhibitors demonstrated significant efficacy in reversing norepinephrine-induced tension, comparable to the PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil.
  • Forskolin (adenylyl cyclase activator) enhanced the tension-reversing effects of PDE inhibitors.

Conclusions:

  • Provided evidence supporting the critical role of cAMP signaling in the physiological control of prostate smooth muscle.
  • Highlights the potential of targeting the cAMP pathway for managing prostate smooth muscle dysfunctions.

More Related Videos

Real-Time cAMP Dynamics in Live Cells Using the Fluorescent cAMP Difference Detector In Situ06:03

Real-Time cAMP Dynamics in Live Cells Using the Fluorescent cAMP Difference Detector In Situ

Published on: March 22, 2024

Mapping the Cellular Distribution of an Optogenetic Protein Using a Light-Stimulation Grid08:49

Mapping the Cellular Distribution of an Optogenetic Protein Using a Light-Stimulation Grid

Published on: January 26, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Intracellular Signaling Cascades01:24

Intracellular Signaling Cascades

Once a ligand binds to a receptor, the signal is transmitted through the membrane and into the cytoplasm. The continuation of a signal in this manner is called signal transduction. Signal transduction only occurs with cell-surface receptors, which cannot interact with most components of the cell, such as DNA. Only internal receptors can interact directly with DNA in the nucleus to initiate protein synthesis. When a ligand binds to its receptor, conformational changes occur that affect the...
cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways01:25

cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways

Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) is an essential second messenger that activates protein kinase A (PKA) and regulates various biological processes. A single epinephrine molecule binds to GPCR and activates several heterotrimeric G proteins, each stimulating multiple adenylyl cyclase, amplifying the signal, and synthesizing large numbers of cAMP molecules. Small changes in cAMP concentration affect PKA activity. The binding of four cAMP molecules induces a conformational change in PKA,...
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling01:16

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity01:09

GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity

Some GPCRs transmit signals through adenylyl cyclase (AC), a transmembrane enzyme. AC helps synthesize second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). AC catalyzes cyclization reaction and converts ATP to cAMP by releasing a pyrophosphate. The pyrophosphate is further hydrolyzed to phosphate by the enzyme pyrophosphatase, which drives cAMP synthesis to completion. However, cAMP is rapidly degraded to 5′ AMP by the enzymes phosphodiesterase (PDE), preventing overstimulation of cells.
Two...
Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade01:22

Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade

When a ligand binds to a cell-surface receptor, the receptor's intracellular domain changes shape, which may either activate its enzyme function or allow its binding to other molecules. The initial signal is amplified by most signal transduction pathways. This means that a single ligand molecule can activate multiple molecules of a downstream target. Proteins that relay a signal are most commonly phosphorylated at one or more sites, activating or inactivating the protein. Kinases catalyze the...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...