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Pharmacologic perspective on the physiology of the lower urinary tract.

Andersson, Karl-Erik LU orcid and Hedlund, Petter LU (2002) In Urology 60(5 Suppl 1). p.13-20
Abstract
Myogenic activity, distention of the detrusor, and signals from the urothelium may initiate voiding. In the bladder, afferent nerves have been identified not only in the detrusor, but also suburothelially, where they. form a plexus that lies immediately beneath the epithelial lining. Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been found to mediate excitation of small-diameter sensory neurons via P2X(3) receptors, and it has been shown that bladder distention causes release of ATP from the urothelium. In turn, ATP can activate P2X(3) receptors on suburothelial afferent nerve terminals to evoke a neural discharge. However, most probably, not only ATP but also a cascade of inhibitory and stimulatory transmitters and mediators are involved... (More)
Myogenic activity, distention of the detrusor, and signals from the urothelium may initiate voiding. In the bladder, afferent nerves have been identified not only in the detrusor, but also suburothelially, where they. form a plexus that lies immediately beneath the epithelial lining. Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been found to mediate excitation of small-diameter sensory neurons via P2X(3) receptors, and it has been shown that bladder distention causes release of ATP from the urothelium. In turn, ATP can activate P2X(3) receptors on suburothelial afferent nerve terminals to evoke a neural discharge. However, most probably, not only ATP but also a cascade of inhibitory and stimulatory transmitters and mediators are involved in the transduction mechanisms underlying the activation of afferent fibers during bladder filling. These mechanisms may be targets for future drugs. The central nervous control of micturition involves many transmitter systems, which may be suitable targets for pharmacologic intervention. gamma-Aminobutyric acid, dopamine, enkephalin, serotonin, and noradrenaline receptors and mechanisms are known to influence micturition, and potentially, drugs that affect these systems could be developed for clinical use. However, a selective action on the lower urinary tract may be difficult to obtain. Most drugs currently used for treatment of detrusor overactivity have a peripheral site of action, mainly the efferent (cholinergic) neurotransmission and/or the detrusor muscle itself. In the normal bladder, muscarinic receptor stimulation produces the main part of detrusor contraction, but evidence is accumulating that in disease states, such as neurogenic bladders, outflow obstruction, idiopathic detrusor instability, and interstitial cystitis, as well as in the aging bladder, a noncholinergic activation via purinergic receptors may occur. If this component of activation is responsible not only for part of the bladder contractions, but also for the symptoms of the overactive bladder, it should be considered an important target for therapeutic interventions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Urology
volume
60
issue
5 Suppl 1
pages
13 - 20
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:12493344
  • wos:000179893100004
  • scopus:0036867894
ISSN
1527-9995
DOI
10.1016/S0090-4295(02)01786-7
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
30d9c5a2-31fd-4b40-bb0d-c87ed4998d57 (old id 111778)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12493344&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:39:38
date last changed
2022-02-10 19:35:49
@article{30d9c5a2-31fd-4b40-bb0d-c87ed4998d57,
  abstract     = {{Myogenic activity, distention of the detrusor, and signals from the urothelium may initiate voiding. In the bladder, afferent nerves have been identified not only in the detrusor, but also suburothelially, where they. form a plexus that lies immediately beneath the epithelial lining. Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been found to mediate excitation of small-diameter sensory neurons via P2X(3) receptors, and it has been shown that bladder distention causes release of ATP from the urothelium. In turn, ATP can activate P2X(3) receptors on suburothelial afferent nerve terminals to evoke a neural discharge. However, most probably, not only ATP but also a cascade of inhibitory and stimulatory transmitters and mediators are involved in the transduction mechanisms underlying the activation of afferent fibers during bladder filling. These mechanisms may be targets for future drugs. The central nervous control of micturition involves many transmitter systems, which may be suitable targets for pharmacologic intervention. gamma-Aminobutyric acid, dopamine, enkephalin, serotonin, and noradrenaline receptors and mechanisms are known to influence micturition, and potentially, drugs that affect these systems could be developed for clinical use. However, a selective action on the lower urinary tract may be difficult to obtain. Most drugs currently used for treatment of detrusor overactivity have a peripheral site of action, mainly the efferent (cholinergic) neurotransmission and/or the detrusor muscle itself. In the normal bladder, muscarinic receptor stimulation produces the main part of detrusor contraction, but evidence is accumulating that in disease states, such as neurogenic bladders, outflow obstruction, idiopathic detrusor instability, and interstitial cystitis, as well as in the aging bladder, a noncholinergic activation via purinergic receptors may occur. If this component of activation is responsible not only for part of the bladder contractions, but also for the symptoms of the overactive bladder, it should be considered an important target for therapeutic interventions.}},
  author       = {{Andersson, Karl-Erik and Hedlund, Petter}},
  issn         = {{1527-9995}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5 Suppl 1}},
  pages        = {{13--20}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Urology}},
  title        = {{Pharmacologic perspective on the physiology of the lower urinary tract.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0090-4295(02)01786-7}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/S0090-4295(02)01786-7}},
  volume       = {{60}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}