Adrenergic innervation of the ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra in pigs

Studies were conducted on 4 sexually mature and 4 immature pigs. Scraps of the ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra were cut with a freezing microtome. Fluorescence method of Torre and Surgeon (1976) was used to reveal the adrenergic innervation. It was found that the ureters were weakly supplied with the adrenergic nerves; most of the nerves were located in the muscular and submucosal membranes. Apex of the urinary bladder possessed the weakest innervation. More nerves were found in particular layers of the bladder corpus whereas bladder trigonum and cervix possessed numerous nerves. Adrenergic innervation of the urethra was similar to that of the urinary bladder's cervix. Adrenergic nerves were present in the serous and muscular membranes of both the urinary bladder and the urethra. Part of the nerve fibres was connected with blood vessels of the organs under study.     

Characterization of spontaneous electrical activity of the urinary tract: Ureter,bladder, urethra

The study aimed to characterize spontaneous electrical activity of the ureter, urinary bladder and urethra as well as their interrelationship. The basic parameters of pacemaker activity (amplitude, frequency, peak rise rate, peak rise time, peak half-width) were comparatively analyzed in each of the active areas. Out of the three areas compared, the ureteral rhythmogenic zone displayed the maximum amplitude and apex formation rate. Under conditions of urine influx from the ureter into the bladder and isolation of these organs from the urethra, the amplitude and peak rise rate in the latter decreased by almost 20%. At the same time, all the parameters of the ureter and bladder remained intact. Complete block of urine influx into the bladder by transecting the ureter at the appropriate area led to a slight decrease in the amplitude of action potentials, peak rise rate and rhythmogenicity frequency in the bladder, respectively, by 14.2, 12.5 and 16% at the constancy of other parameters of its activity. Subsequent isolation of the bladder from the urethra had no appreciable effect on the altered parameters of the former. The similar tendency towards a reduction of the parameters was observed under the same conditions in the urethra. Thus, a relationship was revealed between autonomous activities of the ureter, bladder and urethra. The regulatory role in this process is provided by the urine flow through these organs.     

Surface morphology of kidney, ureters and urinary bladder models based on data from the visible human male

The aim of the present work was to create a simplified high-resolution three-dimensional model of kidneys, ureters and urinary bladder in a data form suitable for finite element/volume based numerical simulations. The exterior morphology of the organs was based on images from the Visible Human Male data set. In both the right and left kidney, there were defined their topographic relations to the neighbouring anatomical structures. This model of kidneys, ureters and urinary bladder will be incorporated into the model of The Visible Human Male abdomen and pelvis and it is ready to be used for numerical simulations in urinary system biomechanics.     

Intrinsic innervation of the urinary bladder of kangaroo and albino rats.

A comparative study of the intrinsic innervation in desert rodents (kangaroo rats) and others (albino rats) was carried out in an attempt to understand the functional anatomy of the bladder in these animals which are known to sustain severe water restraint. The bladder of the albino rat was innervated by predominantly thin nerves, more numerous beaded endings and few ganglia. That of the kangaroo rat had more numerous thick nerves (pre-ganglionic), large verve trunks, and ganglia which were extensively distributed in the wall. These findings indicate that the bladder of the albino rat depends mainly on the intrinsic innervation and facilatory micturition reflexes, while that of the kangaroo rat is intrinsically regulated, depending on a short neuron system. It was concluded that all the structural differences found might be essential for constant urine retention.     

The effect of indomethacin and adenosine 5'-triphosphate on the excitatory innervation of the rate urinary bladder

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) (20-400 microM) contracted 48% of isolated rat urinary bladder preparations but induced no response in the remainder. The response to ATP never exceeded 25% of the response to electrical stimulation in the presence of indomethacin (50 microM) plus hyoscine (25 microM) and usually developed more slowly than that to electrical stimulation. Autoinhibition could be produced to ATP by incubating the tissue with ATP (200 microM) for 20 min. Incubation of the tissue with ATP (200 microM) for 60 min in the presence of indomethacin (50 microM) and either hyoscine (25 microM) or hemicholinium-3 (500 microM) reduced but failed to abolish responses to electrical stimulation. Responses to acetylcholine were not affected by ATP (200 microM) in the presence of indomethacin and the output of acetylcholine induced by neuronal stimulation at 10 Hz was not inhibited by ATP (200 microM) or by indomethacin (50 microM). The results suggest a possible modulatory role for ATP in the excitatory innervation of the rat urinary bladder.     

Electron microscopic study of the innervation of the renal tubules and urinary bladder epithelium in Rana catesbeiana and Necturus maculosus

The fine structure of the kidney and the bladder of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), the bullfrog tadpole, and the mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) were studied with special attention to the innervation of renal tubule cells and bladder epithelial cells. In the bullfrog kidney, nerve terminals and varicosities were frequently associated with the tubule cells, apparently in an increasing order from the proximal tubule to the connecting tubule. Although these terminals and varicosities did not directly contact the tubular cell membrane, an aggregation of synaptic vesicles on the side facing the tubule was considered as morphological evidence that neurotransmitter can be released here and can affect the transport activity of the tubule cells. The association of nerve varicosities with canaliculi cells in the connecting tubule was also demonstrated. In the bullfrog tadpoles, renal tubule cells were occasionally innervated. In the mudpuppy, renal tubule cells were only poorly innervated. The epithelium of the bullfrog bladder was commonly innervated. Nerve terminals with synaptic vesicles were located very near basal cells and even contacted them directly on rare occasions. In the mudpuppy, the innervation of the bladder epithelium was observed infrequently. The bullfrog tadpoles did not possess an apparent bladder. In all materials studied, renal arterioles and bladder smooth muscle cells were innervated.     

Reactivity of urinary bladder smooth muscle in guinea pigs to acetylcholine and carbachol--participation of acetylcholinesterase

The authors examined the influence of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (neostigmine) on the in vitro reactivity of urinary bladder smooth muscle (UBSM) in guinea pigs. The aim of the present study was to determine the participation of pharmacokinetic properties of acetylcholine and carbachol in different UBSM reactivity to these mediators. In vitro method of organ baths was used and reactivity of UBSM strips to cumulative doses of acetylcholine and carbachol was tested before and after the incubation with neostigmine (10(-4) mol.l(-1)). Neostigmine caused a significant increase of UBSM reactivity to acetylcholine. The UBSM reactivity to acetylcholine was significantly higher at concentrations of 10(-5) and 10(-4) mol.l(-1) compared to carbachol at the same concentrations. These findings indicate that in addition to different mediator affinity to muscarinic receptors and to their different intrinsic activity, the pharmacokinetic properties of acetylcholine and carbachol also participate in UBSM reactivity.     

Botulinum toxin: poisoning the spastic bladder and urethra

Botulinum toxin has proven to be a safe and effective therapy for a variety of somatic and autonomic motor disorders. Urologists are now finding clinical success with urethral and bladder injection of this fascinating toxin for detrusor sphincter dyssynergia, conditions of pelvic floor spasticity, and overactive bladder. One cannot deny the ingenuity of man in transforming the lethal toxin of Clostridium botulinum into a modern day therapeutic medicine.     

Adrenergic innervation of the human gall bladder

Summary Adrenergic innervation of the human gall bladder was studied using two specific fluorescence histochemical methods. Blue-green fluorescing varicose nerves were scarce and mostly followed the course of blood vessels as typical perivascular plexuses. However, some adrenergic nerves not associated with the vessels were occasionally seen, as well as structures suggestive of a pericellular arrangement of varicose adrenergic nerve terminals on non-fluorescing ganglion cells. A few enterochromaffin cells were seen in the epithelial lining, also in the deep invaginations obviously representing the Aschoff-Rokitansky sinuses. Occasionally, small rounded cells with a rounded, relatively large nucleus, and exhibiting a weak yellow-green to blue-green granular cytoplasmic fluorescence, were observed in the wall of the gall bladder. The possible functional and evolutionary significance of these neural and endocrine elements was discussed against the data on physiological and pharmacological studies obtained from the literature. It was concluded that their significance is, in all probability, secondary to the influence of the intestinal polypeptide hormones, vagal innervation and circulating catecholamines upon the normal function of the gall bladder. The glyoxylic acid-induced fluorescence histochemical method was found to be superior to the conventional formaldehyde technique in studies on human tissue.     

Intrinsic innervation of the gall bladder in the dog.

The gall bladder of eight dogs 3 months old were extracted and studied by the Holme's and Gross-Bielschowsky techniques. The nerves were found to form an extensive network within the wall of the gall bladder. However, 5 plexuses were identified and their arrangement was similar to that in the wall of the intestine. Nerve cells were only found in relation with the myenteric plexus. Moreover, knob-like terminals and circular type of nerve endings were noticed on the muscularis. The findings of the intrinsic innervation of the gall bladder of the dog were compared with that of man, monkey and guinea pig and the significance of that innervation was discussed.