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Updated: May 1, 2026
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Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology
Published on: August 18, 2014
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Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide (CARTp): distribution and function in rat urinary bladder.
K Zvarova1, G M Herrera, V May
1Physiology Department, Slovak Health University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
Journal of Molecular Neuroscience : MN
|April 18, 2014
Summary
Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide (CARTp) is highly present in rat bladders and enhances detrusor and smooth muscle contractions. CARTp
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The role of CARTp(55-102) in lower urinary tract function is not well understood.
- CARTp is a peptide with known roles in regulating various physiological processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution of CARTp(55-102) in the rat lower urinary tract.
- To evaluate the effect of CARTp on urinary bladder function in vitro.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry was used to determine CARTp distribution.
- An isolated tissue bath system assessed the effects of CARTp on bladder strips.
Main Results:
- CARTp(55-102) was found in neurons, nerve fibers, and nonneuronal endocrine cells in the rat urinary bladder.
- CARTp significantly increased detrusor and spontaneous urinary bladder smooth muscle contractions.
- CARTp's effects were dose-dependent and enhanced by the urothelium, independent of cholinergic, purinergic, or adrenergic pathways.
Conclusions:
- CARTp(55-102) is widely expressed in the rat urinary bladder.
- CARTp enhances bladder contractility, potentially by modulating urothelial signaling.
- CARTp represents a potential target for modulating bladder function.
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