Overactive bladder and incontinence are major medical issues, which lack effective therapy. Previously, we showed (Meredith AL, Thornloe KS, Werner ME, Nelson MT, and Aldrich RW. J Biol Chem 279: 36746-36752, 2004) that the gene mSlo1 encodes large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels of urinary bladder smooth muscle (UBSM) and that ablation of mSlo1 leads to enhanced myogenic and nerve-mediated contractility and increased urination frequency. Here, we examine the in vivo urodynamic consequences and neurotransmitter dependence in the absence of the BK channel. The sensitivity of contractility to nerve stimulation was greatly enhanced in UBSM strips from Slo-/- mice. The stimulation frequency required to obtain a 50% maximal contraction was 8.3 +/- 0.9 and 19.1 +/- 1.8 Hz in Slo-/- and Slo+/+ mice, respectively. This enhancement is at least partially due to alterations in UBSM excitability, as muscarinic-induced Slo-/- contractility is elevated in the absence of neuronal activity. Muscarinic-induced Slo-/- contractility was mimicked by blocking BK channels with iberiotoxin (IBTX) in Slo+/+ strips, whereas IBTX had no effect on Slo-/- strips. IBTX also enhanced purinergic contractions of Slo+/+ UBSM but was without effect on purinergic contractions of Slo-/- strips. In vivo bladder pressure and urine output measurements (cystometry) were performed on conscious, freely moving mice. Slo-/- mice exhibited increased bladder pressures, pronounced pressure oscillations, and urine dripping. Our results indicate that the BK channel in UBSM has a very significant role in urinary function and dysfunction and as such likely represents an important therapeutic target.
In the urinary bladder, contractions of the detrusor muscle and urine voiding are induced by the neurotransmitters ACh and ATP, released from parasympathetic nerves. Activation of K(+) channels, in particular the large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK) channels, opposes increases in excitability and contractility of urinary bladder smooth muscle (UBSM). We have shown that deleting the gene mSlo1 in mice (Slo(-/-)), encoding the BK channel, leads to enhanced nerve-mediated and neurotransmitter-dependent contractility of UBSM (38). Here, we examine the location of the BK channel in urinary bladder strips from mouse. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the channel is expressed in UBSM but not in nerves that innervate the smooth muscle. The relationship between electrical field stimulation and force generation of the cholinergic and purinergic pathways was examined by applying blockers of the respective receptors in UBSM strips from wild-type and from Slo(-/-) (knockout) mice. In wild-type strips, the stimulation frequency required to obtain a half-maximal force was significantly lower for the purinergic (7.2 +/- 0.3 Hz) than the cholinergic pathway (19.1 +/- 1.5 Hz), whereas the maximum force was similar. Blocking BK channels with iberiotoxin or ablation of the Slo gene increased cholinergic- and purinergic-mediated force at low frequencies, i.e., significantly decreased the frequency for a half-maximal force. Our results indicate that the BK channel has a very significant role in reducing both cholinergic- and purinergic-induced contractility and suggest that alterations in BK channel expression or function could contribute to pathologies such as overactive detrusor.
-activated K ϩ (SK) channels play an important role in regulating the frequency and in shaping urinary bladder smooth muscle (UBSM) action potentials, thereby modulating contractility. Here we investigated a role for the SK2 member of the SK family (SK1-3) utilizing: 1) mice expressing -galactosidase (-gal) under the direction of the SK2 promoter (SK2 -gal mice) to localize SK2 expression and 2) mice lacking SK2 gene expression (SK2 Ϫ/Ϫ mice) to assess SK2 function. In SK2 -gal mice, UBSM staining was observed, but staining was undetected in the urothelium. Consistent with this, urothelial SK2 mRNA was determined to be 4% of that in UBSM. Spontaneous phasic contractions in wild-type (SK2 ϩ/ϩ ) UBSM strips were potentiated (259% of control) by the selective SK channel blocker apamin (EC 50 ϭ 0.16 nM), whereas phasic contractions of SK2 Ϫ/Ϫ strips were unaffected. Nerve-mediated contractions of SK2 ϩ/ϩ UBSM strips were also increased by apamin, an effect absent in SK2 Ϫ/Ϫ strips. Apamin increased the sensitivity of SK2 ϩ/ϩ UBSM strips to electrical field stimulation, since pretreatment with apamin decreased the frequency required to reach a 50% maximal contraction (vehicle, 21 Ϯ 4 Hz, n ϭ 6; apamin, 12 Ϯ 2 Hz, n ϭ 7; P Ͻ 0.05). In contrast, the sensitivity of SK2 Ϫ/Ϫ UBSM strips was unaffected by apamin. Here we provide novel insight into the molecular basis of SK channels in the urinary bladder, demonstrating that the SK2 gene is expressed in the bladder and that it is essential for the ability of SK channels to regulate UBSM contractility.bladder; contractility; small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel; apamin THE COORDINATION OF NEURONAL and smooth muscle electrical activity is critical to the maintenance of proper urinary bladder function. Micturition occurs through the initiation of action potentials within the parasympathetic nerves leading to the bladder. These neuronal action potentials on reaching efferent terminals evoke the release of the excitatory neurotransmitters, acetylcholine and ATP. Acetylcholine and ATP bind to muscarinic (M 2 , M 3 ) and purinergic (P 2X1 ) receptors, respectively, located in the urinary bladder smooth muscle (UBSM) membrane. These transmitters contract the bladder via a coordinated potentiation of UBSM action potentials, which occur "spontaneously" during bladder filling functioning to maintain an appropriate basal bladder tone (10).Overactive bladder, a major underlying cause of urinary incontinence, is frequently caused by alterations in neuronal and/or UBSM electrical activity. Currently, the main therapy used to treat overactive bladder is muscarinic receptor antagonists that function to reduce the coupling of excitatory acetylcholine to UBSM muscarinic receptors. These agents are somewhat effective but have significant side effects, such as dry mouth, and in some cases can lead to incomplete urine voiding during micturition. Therefore, the identification of novel targets to be used for the development of better therapies for overactive bladder and urinar...
Th2 cells are important effector cells during allergic disorders and parasite infections. Efficient differentiation of Th2 cells requires signaling via the IL-4R and the transcription factor Stat6. Stat6 is further implicated in Th2 cell recruitment to the lung and might be required for the survival of memory Th2 cells. We analyzed the role of Stat6 in T cell expansion, survival, and recruitment to the lung using competitive adoptive transfer experiments and infection with the helminth parasite Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. Stat6 was not required in T cells or other cell types for recruitment of in vivo-generated Th2 cells to the lung. Functional analysis of Th2 memory cells revealed that Stat6 signaling in CD4 T cells was dispensable for memory cell generation, expansion, and cytokine secretion. However, Stat6-deficient T cells survived better than wild-type T cells, resulting in higher accumulation in the bronchoalveolar lavage, lung, and lymph nodes. This demonstrates that effector T cell expansion is negatively controlled by a novel Stat6-dependent mechanism which probably serves to limit the number of effector T cells during the acute phase of the immune response and thereby lowers the risk of bystander toxicity against healthy tissues.
Inflammation following tissue damage promotes lymphocyte recruitment, tissue remodelling, and wound healing while maintaining self tolerance. Endogenous signals associated with tissue damage and cell death have been proposed to initiate and instruct immune responses following injury. Here we have examined the effects of elevated levels of a candidate endogenous danger signal, heat shock cognate protein 70 (Hsc70), on stimulation of inflammation and autoimmunity following cell damage. We find that damage to pancreatic β-cells expressing additional cytosolic Hsc70 leads to an increased incidence of diabetes in a transgenic mouse model. Steady-state levels of activated APC and T cell populations in the draining lymph node were enhanced, which further increased following streptozotocin-induced β-cell death. In addition, pro-inflammatory serum cytokines, and lymphocyte recruitment were increased in Hsc70 transgenic mice. Islet-antigen-specific T cells underwent a greater extent of proliferation in the lymph nodes of mice expressing Hsc70 following β-cell damage, suggesting elevated antigen presentation following release of antigen in the presence of Hsc70. These findings suggest that an elevated content of Hsc70 in cells undergoing necrotic or apoptotic cell death can increase the extent of sterile inflammation and increase the susceptibility to autoimmunity.
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