Loss of ?1-integrin from urothelium results in overactive bladder and incontinence in mice: a mechanosensory rather than structural phenotype.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Bladder urothelium senses and communicates information about bladder fullness. However, the mechanoreceptors that respond to tissue stretch are poorly defined. Integrins are mechanotransducers in other tissues. Therefore, we eliminated ?1-integrin selectively in urothelium of mice using Cre-LoxP targeted gene deletion. ?1-Integrin localized to basal/intermediate urothelial cells by confocal microscopy. ?1-Integrin conditional-knockout (?1-cKO) mice lacking urothelial ?1-integrin exhibited down-regulation and mislocalization of ?3- and ?5-integrins by immunohistochemistry but, surprisingly, had normal morphology, permeability, and transepithelial resistance when compared with Cre-negative littermate controls. ?1-cKO mice were incontinent, as judged by random urine leakage on filter paper (4-fold higher spotting, P<0.01; 2.5-fold higher urine area percentage, P<0.05). Urodynamic function assessed by cystometry revealed bladder overfilling with 80% longer intercontractile intervals (P<0.05) and detrusor hyperactivity (3-fold more prevoid contractions, P<0.05), but smooth muscle contractility remained intact. ATP secretion into the lumen was elevated (49 vs. 22 nM, P<0.05), indicating abnormal filling-induced purinergic signaling, and short-circuit currents (measured in Ussing chambers) revealed 2-fold higher stretch-activated ion channel conductances in response to hydrostatic pressure of 1 cmH2O (P<0.05). We conclude that loss of integrin signaling from urothelium results in incontinence and overactive bladder due to abnormal mechanotransduction; more broadly, our findings indicate that urothelium itself directly modulates voiding.
SUBMITTER: Kanasaki K
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3633821 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
ACCESS DATA