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Related Concept Videos

Urinary Bladder01:23

Urinary Bladder

The urinary bladder is a hollow, muscular sac that temporarily stores urine before it is expelled from the body. It can hold approximately 600 mL of urine prior to micturition. The bladder is retroperitoneal and located behind the pubic symphysis in the pelvic floor.
In males, the bladder is situated in front of the rectum, while in females, it is positioned anterior to the vagina and uterus. The bladder floor contains an inverted triangular area called the trigone, defined by the two ureteric...
Tight Junctions01:29

Tight Junctions

Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...
Anatomy of the Genitourinary System II: Bladder and Urethra01:19

Anatomy of the Genitourinary System II: Bladder and Urethra

The lower urinary system consists of the urinary bladder and urethra, which are essential in storing and expelling urine from the body. Together with the internal and external sphincters, these structures work together to regulate urination effectively.Anatomy of the BladderThe urinary bladder is a muscular, stretchable organ behind the pubic bone and in front of the rectum. In females, the bladder is positioned anterior to the vagina and inferior to the uterus, while in males, it is located...
The Micturition Reflex01:26

The Micturition Reflex

Urination, or micturition involves the coordination of the bladder's detrusor muscle and two sphincters to ensure controlled bladder emptying.
The process begins with bladder filling, where the bladder wall stretches as urine accumulates. This stretching activates the urine storage reflex, mediated by the sacral spinal segments and the pontine storage center. Efferent sympathetic impulses stimulate the detrusor muscle to relax and the internal urethral sphincter to contract, facilitating urine...
Disorders of the Urinary System01:20

Disorders of the Urinary System

The urinary system is responsible for eliminating waste and excess fluids from the body. However, disorders of the urinary system can arise due to various reasons like infections, stress, age, congenital abnormalities, and lifestyle.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common urinary system disorders. They are caused by bacteria that enter the urethra and can spread to the bladder resulting in cystitis. Pyelonephritis is the result of a UTI that has ascended to the level of the...
Physiology of Urine Formation01:24

Physiology of Urine Formation

Urine formation is an essential function of the human body. It plays a critical role in maintaining homeostasis by regulating the volume and composition of body fluids. The kidneys, the primary organs involved in this process, filter blood to remove waste products and excess substances, ultimately producing urine.
Glomerular Filtration
The first stage in urine formation is glomerular filtration. Each kidney contains approximately 1 million nephrons, the functional units of filtration, with a...

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Functional characterization and classification of mechanosensitive bladder afferents.

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Overexpression of small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel 2 attenuates pain-like behavior in female mice with cystitis.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Expression of Transgenes in Native Bladder Urothelium Using Adenovirus-Mediated Transduction
06:01

Expression of Transgenes in Native Bladder Urothelium Using Adenovirus-Mediated Transduction

Published on: October 6, 2022

Bladder filling and voiding affect umbrella cell tight junction organization and function.

Marcelo D Carattino1, H Sandeep Prakasam, Wily G Ruiz

  • 1S828 Scaife Hall, 3550 Terrace St., Pittsburgh, PA 15261. mdc4@pitt.edu.

American Journal of Physiology. Renal Physiology
|July 26, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bladder umbrella cells

Keywords:
bladderclaudinsstretchtight junctionuroepithelium

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

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Assessing Urinary Tract Junction Obstruction Defects by Methylene Blue Dye Injection
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Assessing Urinary Tract Junction Obstruction Defects by Methylene Blue Dye Injection

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 9, 2026

Expression of Transgenes in Native Bladder Urothelium Using Adenovirus-Mediated Transduction
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Expression of Transgenes in Native Bladder Urothelium Using Adenovirus-Mediated Transduction

Published on: October 6, 2022

A Decentralized (Ex Vivo) Murine Bladder Model with the Detrusor Muscle Removed for Direct Access to the Suburothelium during Bladder Filling
06:36

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

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Assessing Urinary Tract Junction Obstruction Defects by Methylene Blue Dye Injection
06:05

Assessing Urinary Tract Junction Obstruction Defects by Methylene Blue Dye Injection

Published on: October 12, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Urothelial biology
  • Epithelial cell physiology
  • Biomechanical forces

Background:

  • Epithelial cells face mechanical forces like shear stress and stretch.
  • The effects of these forces on tight junction (TJ) organization and function are unclear.
  • Umbrella cells, the outermost uroepithelium layer, change shape and surface area during bladder cycles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate mechanical force effects on umbrella cell TJs.
  • Analyze TJ changes during bladder filling and voiding.
  • Determine TJ response to physiological stretch.

Main Methods:

  • Ussing chamber experiments on isolated uroepithelial tissue.
  • Exposure to physiological stretch.
  • Measurement of transepithelial electrical resistance (TER).
  • Assessment of TJ integrity using permeability assays (biotin, fluorescein, ruthenium red).
  • Extracellular calcium depletion using EGTA.

Main Results:

  • Bladder filling increased TJ ring length, reversed upon voiding.
  • Physiological stretch caused a 10-fold drop in TER and junctional resistance.
  • Stretch-induced changes in TER were reversible and force-dependent.
  • Umbrella cell TJ integrity was maintained under stretch.
  • Extracellular calcium depletion disrupted TER in unstretched, but not stretched, uroepithelium.

Conclusions:

  • Umbrella cell TJs undergo significant structural and functional reorganization during the bladder cycle.
  • Mechanical forces, particularly stretch, dynamically alter urothelial TJ properties.
  • Calcium's role in TJ regulation differs between stretched and unstretched states.
  • These TJ dynamics are crucial for bladder function.