ISSN:
1573-7381
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Clusters of purinergic receptor subunits, about 1 μm diameter, are found on the smooth muscle cell membrane beneath junctional varicosities in the detrusor muscle of the rat urinary bladder. We have examined the extent of redistribution of the six different subunit clusters, P2X1 to P2X6, with respect to junctional varicosities during pregnancy, as it is known that the detrusor muscle undergoes changes in purinergic innervation during this period. Before pregnancy, clusters at junctional varicosities are principally composed of the subtypes P2X1, P2X2, P2X3 and P2X5. However this subtype distribution changes dramatically during pregnancy, such that by day 14 of pregnancy, the extent of P2X1, P2X2, P2X3 and P2X5 junctional clusters has decreased by more than 80% whereas the extent of P2X4 and P2X6 junctional clusters has increased by more than 80%. These changes were confirmed with Western blots for different subtypes. It is suggested that the changes in the purinergic innervation of the detrusor muscle during pregnancy reflect changes in the P2X subtypes found on the smooth muscle membrane beneath junctional varicosities.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1007152428481
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