vasoactive-intestinal-peptide and Urinary-Bladder--Neurogenic

To observe the altered expressions of neuropeptide Y, substance P and vasoactive intestinal peptide in detrusor of SD rats after spinal cord injury and explore the relationship of the above neuropeptides and neurogenic bladder after spine cord injury.. Twenty male clean-grade SD rats, aged 6 weeks, were selected and randomized into spinal cord injury group (n = 10) and control group (n = 10). Rats in spinal cord injury group were smashed at T10 to cause spinal cord incomplete injury model by the weight drop method while laminectomy alone without smashing was administered in control group. At Week 1 post-operation, all rats were assessed by the maximum bladder capacity, bladder compliance and detrusor pressure for the confirmation of spastic bladder. And all detrusor specimens were marked with argentation and immunohistochemistry for the analyses of nerve fibers, neuropeptide Y, substance P and vasoactive intestinal peptide. The results were evaluated with semiquantitative method to observe the contents of nerve fiber and neuropeptides.. At Week 1 post-operation, the mean maximum bladder compactly, mean maximum detrusor pressure and mean compliance in SCI rats was 0.71 ± 0.24 ml, 32.27 ± 3.12 cm H2O and 0.020 ± 0.009 ml/cm H2O versus 2.0 ± 0.4 ml, 21.0 ± 3.0 cm H2O and 0.090 ± 0.020 ml/cm H2O in normal control group respectively. And the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the mean content of nerve fibers of neurogenic bladder decreased markedly than that of normal control group (2.58 ± 0.13 vs 5.65 ± 0.26). As compared with the normal control group, the expressions of neuropeptide Y, substance P and vasoactive intestinal peptide (mean integrated optical density: 3.2 ± 0.5, 1.7 ± 0.4 and 2.1 ± 0.4 respectively) decreased dramatically in SCI rats. And the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01).. The number of nerve fibers and the content of neuropeptides significantly decrease in neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury in rats. The reduction of neuropeptides may be correlated with the formation of neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury.

Topics: Animals; Male; Neuropeptide Y; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Spinal Cord Injuries; Substance P; Urinary Bladder; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

In unanesthetized, normal rats, and rats with bladder hypertrophy following infravesical outflow obstruction, cystometry was performed to investigate the effects of spinal and peripheral administration of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on micturition. In addition, the direct effects of the peptide on isolated smooth muscle preparations of detrusor and urethra were studied. In normal animals, 10 micrograms. of VIP administered intrathecally as well as intra-arterially close to the bladder, but not intravenously, decreased micturition volume and bladder capacity, and facilitated spontaneous bladder contractions. In animals with bladder hypertrophy, the same dose of VIP intrathecally had similar effects on these three parameters, but the effects of VIP given intra-arterially were less pronounced. VIP given intravenously was ineffective. Hexamethonium 5 mg. x kg.-1 given intraarterially did not block the stimulatory effect of VIP 10 micrograms. given intra-arterially to normal animals. VIP had negligible effects on isolated detrusor muscle contracted by carbachol or electrical stimulation, or on urethral preparations contracted by noradrenaline. These results suggest that VIP has a facilitatory action on the micturition reflex at the spinal cord and ganglionic levels.

Topics: Animals; Female; Hypertrophy; Muscle, Smooth; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reflex; Synaptic Transmission; Urethra; Urinary Bladder; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic; Urination; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Specimens of the detrusor muscle of the bladder from four patients with lower motor neurone lesion and three patients with carcinoma of the bladder used as "controls", were studied immunohistochemically for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, neuropeptide Y, calcitonin-gene related peptide, substance P and somatostatin. The greatest density of nerves in the bladder from "control" patients contained neuropeptide Y, followed in a decreasing order by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide, substance P and somatostatin. Neuropeptide Y- and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-immunoreactive nerves were found throughout the smooth muscle and the base of the mucosa, while calcitonin gene-related peptide-, substance P- and somatostatin-immunoreactive nerves were found predominantly in nerve bundles with a few single fibres at the base of the mucosa. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-, neuropeptide Y- and calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive nerves were also located around blood vessels. In patients with lower motor neurone lesion, there was a decrease in the density of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-, calcitonin gene-related peptide- and substance P-immunoreactive nerves, but there was little change in neuropeptide Y- or somatostatin-immunoreactive nerves. Urinary retention, bladder areflexia and deficient sensation may be directly linked to neuropeptide neuropathy in patients with lower motor neurone lesion.

Topics: Adult; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Humans; Male; Meningomyelocele; Neuropeptide Y; Somatostatin; Substance P; Urinary Bladder; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Urinary bladder biopsies from 31 multiple sclerosis patients, 9 diabetics, 5 patients after transtrigonal phenolization and 20 control patients were stained for acetylcholinesterase, S100 and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). The VIP immunoreactivity was not decreased in all neuropathic bladders and its depletion was not related to cholinergic depletion. There was no correlation between bladder over- or underactivity and VIP content. VIP can act as a modulator of detrusor function in normal conditions. The significance of its depletion in neurogenic bladders needs further elaboration.

Topics: Acetylcholinesterase; Diabetes Complications; Humans; Multiple Sclerosis; Neurons; S100 Proteins; Urinary Bladder; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Specimens of urethra were obtained from patients with cervical and thoracic spinal cord lesion with detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia and from patients with lower motor neurone lesion with detrusor areflexia, undergoing transurethral sphincterotomy. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in nerves associated with both the smooth and striated muscle components of the urethral sphincter were studied immunohistochemically and by immunoassay. In patients with detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia following cervical and thoracic spinal cord injury, NPY- and VIP-immunoreactive varicose nerve fibres were seen in both the smooth and striated muscle components of the urethral sphincter. In the smooth muscle, NPY- and VIP-immunoreactive nerves did not appear to have any particular orientation, but in the striated muscle region they were found to run along the length of individual muscle fibres. In patients with detrusor areflexia following lower motor neurone lesion, while the pattern, density and fluorescence intensity of NPY- and VIP-immunoreactive nerves in the smooth muscle of the sphincter mechanism appeared the same as seen in patients with detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia, there was a marked increase in the density of these nerves in the striated muscle region of the sphincter mechanism. Quantitation of the peptides by immunoassay was consistent with the histochemical findings, with significantly higher levels of both NPY and VIP in the striated muscle of patients with lower motor neurone lesion, compared to those with cervical and thoracic spinal cord lesion, p = 0.04. NPY and VIP levels in urethral smooth muscle were in the same range in lower motor neurone lesion patients and cervical and thoracic spinal cord lesion patients. We conclude that there are increased NPY- and VIP-containing fibres in striated muscle of the intrinsic external urethral sphincter in patients with areflexic bladder compared with those with detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia.

Topics: Adult; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; Male; Muscles; Neurons; Neuropeptide Y; Radioimmunoassay; Spinal Cord Injuries; Urethra; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Specimens obtained by transurethral sphincterectomy from patients with spinal cord injury and carcinoma of the bladder were studied immunohistochemically. In the smooth muscle region of the sphincter, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-, substance P- and somatostatin-immunoreactive fluorescent, varicose nerve fibers were seen. In the striated muscle region, VIP-immunoreactive nerves were found around striated muscle fibers and bundles, while somatostatin- and substance P-immunoreactive nerves were confined to nerve bundles. In both the smooth and striated muscle regions of the intrinsic external urethral sphincter, VIP-immunoreactive nerves were seen around blood vessels. No differences were observed in the immunohistochemical localization of these peptide-containing nerves in the two groups of patients. No immunofluorescence for [Met]enkephalin, bombesin, neurotensin or serotonin was found in any nerves in the urethra.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Humans; Muscle, Smooth; Muscles; Nerve Fibers; Somatostatin; Spinal Cord Injuries; Substance P; Urethra; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

The distribution of nerves containing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in the hyper-reflexic neuropathic bladder was investigated using immunocytochemistry and radioimmunoassay. Biopsy specimens were taken from the bladders of 21 patients with urodynamically proven detrusor hyper-reflexia and from 20 control patients with no urodynamic abnormality. The results showed a reduction in the number of VIP immunoreactive nerves and a reduction in VIP concentration in the hyper-reflexic bladder when compared with control samples.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Radioimmunoassay; Reflex, Abnormal; Urinary Bladder; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide