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Related Concept Videos

Urinary Bladder01:23

Urinary Bladder

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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...
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Anatomy of the Genitourinary System II: Bladder and Urethra01:19

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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...
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Ureters01:22

Ureters

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The ureters are retroperitoneal tubes located on either side of the vertebral column. They are responsible for transporting urine from each kidney to the urinary bladder. These tubes have thick walls and are approximately 25-30 cm long. Their diameter is around 10 mm at the renal pelvis, gradually narrowing to 1 mm as the ureter obliquely enters the posterior bladder wall through the ureteric orifices. The shape of these orifices is slit-like, which helps to prevent urine backflow toward the...
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The Micturition Reflex01:26

The Micturition Reflex

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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...
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Anatomy of the Genitourinary System I: Kidneys and Ureters01:11

Anatomy of the Genitourinary System I: Kidneys and Ureters

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The upper urinary system comprises two kidneys and two ureters, which are crucial in filtering blood and forming urine.KidneysLocation and Structure:The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs positioned behind the peritoneum on either side of the spine.Kidneys are between the 12th thoracic (T12) and the 3rd lumbar (L3) vertebrae.The position of the liver causes the right kidney to sit slightly lower than the left.Protective Layers:Each kidney is enveloped in a tough, fibrous membrane called the...
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Urethra01:16

Urethra

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The urethra is a hollowed tubular organ through which urine is expelled from the body. This structure extends from the bladder to the external opening, allowing urine to be released.
The anatomy of the urethra differs between males and females. In females, the urethra is short, measuring about 3–4 cm in length, and opens anterior to the vaginal opening. In males, the urethra is longer and passes through the penis, serving dual purposes: expelling urine and ejaculating semen. The male...
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Updated: Aug 26, 2025

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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Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4 (TRPV4) in urinary bladder structure and function.

Megan Elizabeth Perkins1, Margaret A Vizzard1

  • 1Department of Neurological Sciences, The Larner College of Medicine, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States.

Current Topics in Membranes
|October 9, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channels are implicated in bladder pain syndrome (BPS)/interstitial cystitis (IC). Studies show TRPV4 involvement in voiding dysfunction and pelvic pain, suggesting therapeutic potential for BPS/IC.

Keywords:
Ca(2+) eventsLamina propriaPainful bladder syndromeSyncytiumUrothelium

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Yeast Luminometric and Xenopus Oocyte Electrophysiological Examinations of the Molecular Mechanosensitivity of TRPV4
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Area of Science:

  • Urology
  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Bladder pain syndrome (BPS)/interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic pelvic pain condition with urinary symptoms.
  • Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, including TRPV4, are found in the bladder and implicated in bladder disorders like BPS/IC and overactive bladder (OAB).
  • TRPV4 channels are potential mechanosensors in the bladder, and TRPV4 antagonists are being explored for OAB treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge of TRPV4 distribution and function in the lower urinary tract (LUT), focusing on its plasticity in injury and disease, particularly BPS/IC.
  • To present studies investigating TRPV4's role in voiding dysfunction, pelvic pain, and non-voiding bladder contractions.
  • To explore TRPV4 involvement in distention-induced luminal ATP release and vesicular release mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on TRPV4 in the LUT.
  • Studies in nerve growth factor overexpressing (NGF-OE) mice to assess TRPV4 involvement in voiding dysfunction and pain.
  • Investigation of ATP release mechanisms and vesicular release involving TRPV4.
  • Analysis of lamina propria cellular networks in postnatal rat bladders using calcium imaging.

Main Results:

  • TRPV4 plays a role in voiding dysfunction, pelvic pain, and non-voiding bladder contractions in NGF-OE mice.
  • Distention of the bladder can induce luminal ATP release, involving TRPV4 and vesicular mechanisms.
  • Early postnatal rat bladders show a prominent TRPV4+ and PDGFRα+ lamina propria network.
  • Exogenous mediators like ATP and TRPV4 agonists activate lamina propria cells, increasing calcium events and network activity.

Conclusions:

  • TRPV4 channels are significantly involved in bladder function, pain, and dysfunction, particularly in the context of BPS/IC.
  • TRPV4 and associated vesicular mechanisms are critical for bladder distention responses and cellular communication within the lamina propria.
  • These findings highlight TRPV4 as a potential therapeutic target for managing BPS/IC and related bladder disorders.