Comparative biochemical characteristics of the cat and rabbit urinary bladder

Abstract

The cat and the rabbit are two of the most popular models for the study of lower urinary bladder function. The cat has been used extensively for in vivo studies of spinal and supra‐spinal micturition reflexes. In contrast, the rabbit has been used extensively for the in vitro study of bladder function. Although the cat and rabbit bladders are approximately the same mass, the cat bladder can generate approximately 6 times the intravesical pressure than the rabbit bladder at the same volume (in vitro response to field stimulation). In order to determine it the increased pressure generation is related to increased cellular energetics, we compared the intracellular concentrations of ATP and creatine phosphate (CP), and the enzyme activities of three enzymes which have important functions in cellular energetics: creatine kinase, citrate synthase, and malic dehydrogenase between the cat and rabbit urinary bladder. The results can be summarized as follows: (I) The bladder weight of the cat and rabbit are similar. (2) The isolated cat bladder can generate approximately 6 times the intravesical pressure of the isolated rabbit bladder, (3) The ATP and CP concentrations of the rabbit are significantly greater than the concentrations in the cat bladder, (4) The hydroxyproline concentration is significantly greater in the eat than the rabbit, (5) The maximum activities of creatine kinase, citrate synthase, and malic dehydrogenase are significantly lower in the cat than the rabbit. In general, it is clear that the ability of the cat to generate high intravesical pressures is not correlated with increased tissue high energy phosphate concentrations, or high enzymatic activities of three specific cytosolic or mitochondrial enzymes. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Urinary Bladder Contraction and Relaxation: Physiology and Pathophysiology

“…The contents in urinary bladder tissue determined by biochemical assays are within the range observed for different smooth muscle tissues [relaxed rabbit urinary bladder (in mol/g): ATP, 0.79; ADP, 0.15; P i , 1.3; PCr, 1.76; Ref. 274], although some species-dependent differences might exist (386). Data from urinary bladders have also been obtained using 31 Pnuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements (274,368).…”

AE9C90CB: a novel, bladder‐selective muscarinic receptor antagonist for the treatment of overactive bladder

“…Among them, rats and rabbits are the most commonly used species. There are numerous studies that provide detailed information regarding urinary bladder morphology, cellular biochemistry, contractile function and normal micturition in these species (Levin et al ., 1983, 1990, 1994; Longhurst et al ., 1990; Steers, 1994; Damaser et al ., 2000). In mammals, acetylcholine is the principal neurotransmitter that acts at muscarinic receptors of the detrusor muscle leading to contraction of the smooth muscle; therefore, compounds that act as antagonists at these receptors would reduce bladder overactivity.…”