observed that SCs were originated in the lamina propria and then spread to the detrusor in the neonatal rat bladder.55 SCs of the bladder were initiated from one AZD2014 solubility dmso or two sites in the bladder sheet from rats with SCI and spread over the entire bladder sheet, which resulted in synchronized large SCs compared to normal rats.23 These synchronized enhanced SCs were inhibited by the removal of the mucosa in rat bladders with SCI.23 The likely mechanism for this modulation involves the urothelium and lamina propria, including suburothelial ICCs. Carbachol,

a muscarinic agonist, applied on the surface elicited Ca2+ transients in the lamina propria,55 suggesting that acetylcholine binds to muscarinic receptor in the urothelium and stimulates ATP release, and then released ATP binds to P2Y receptors on suburothelial ICCs,32 resulting in depolarization

of these cells. However, the role of the mucosa (urothelium and lamina propria) in SCs has not yet been investigated extensively. The removal of the mucosa made bladder strips from the pig more sensitive Selleck LY2835219 to the ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener cromakalim in inhibiting SCs, and the time required for the development of SCs in a tissue bath was longer in strips denuded of the mucosa than in intact strips.56 These findings may indicate that mucosa removal suppresses the development of SCs and makes SCs more sensitive to the effect of

cromakalim in inhibiting SCs. The cause of this effect of mucosa removal may be the interruption of the sequential propagation of Ca2+ and electrical transients from the mucosa to the detrusor muscle, as shown in neonatal rat bladders.55 The urothelium releases a substance named urothelium-derived inhibitory factor (UDIF) that inhibits the contraction of bladder strips when the strip is stimulated by a muscarinic or histaminergic receptor agonist.57 The role of UDIF in the modulation of SCs deserves further study although UDIF has not yet been identified. Increased release of ATP from the urothelial cells was found in feline very interstitial cystitis58 and ATP may directly stimulate suburothelial afferents to generate bladder pain. Even in such a condition in which urothelium-released ATP is believed to play an important role in the afferent mechanism, urothelium modulation of SCs has been reported.59 Thus, the association between the mucosa (urothelium and lamina propria) and SCs has become a critical issue that should be further investigated to clarify the mechanism underlying the generation of bladder sensation.