RT Journal Article
T1 Direct coupling through gap junctions is not involved in urethral neurotransmission
A1 Sancho González, María
A1 Triguero Robles, Domingo
A1 García Pascual, María De Los Ángeles
AB Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are believed to participate in urethral neurotransmission and it was proposed that direct coupling of ICC and smooth muscle cells (SMC) through gap junctions (GJ) is involved, although this still remains unclear. Hence, we investigated the distribution of different connexins (Cx 43, Cx40, and Cx37) in the sheep and rat urethra, as well as their possible role in neurotransmission. Conventional PCR confirmed that three Cxs are expressed in the urethra. Moreover, both Cx43 and Cx37-immunoreactivity (-ir) were present in SMC, ICC, and the urothelium, although Cx37-ir was significantly weaker and Cx40-ir was limited to the endothelium. While these results indicate that GJ intercellular communication could occur between SMC and ICC, neither the contractile (noradrenergic) nor the relaxant (nitrergic) responses of the rat and sheep urethra to electrical field stimulation were significantly modified by two different GJ inhibitors: 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid and a cocktail of Cx mimetic peptides (Cx43Gap 26, Cx37, Cx43Gap 27, and Cx40Gap 27). By contrast, contractions induced by high K+ were effectively reduced by both blockers, evidence that they effectively inhibit intercellular communication. These results indicate that GJ are not implicated in urethral neurotransmission, although the question of whether ICC modulate neurotransmission through some other mechanism remains to be determined.
PB AMER PHYSIOLOGICAL SOC
SN 1931-857X
SN 1522-1466
YR 2011
FD 2011-04
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/109875
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/109875
LA eng
NO Sancho M, Triguero D, Garcia-Pascual A. Direct coupling through gap junctions is not involved in urethral neurotransmission. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2011;300(4):F864-72. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00641.2010.
NO Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia
NO Comunidad de Madrid-Universidad Complutense de Madrid
DS Docta Complutense
RD 6 abr 2025