Treatment of the overactive bladder: possible central nervous system drug targets.
The well-known side effects of antimuscarinic drugs have focused interest on other modalities of treatment of the overactive bladder. To effectively control bladder activity, identification of suitable targets for pharmacologic intervention is necessary. Such targets may be found in the central nervous system (CNS) or peripherally. Several CNS transmitters may modulate voiding, but few drugs with a defined CNS site of action have been developed for treatment of voiding disorders. Drugs affecting gamma-aminobutyric acid, opioid, serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine, or glutamatergic receptors and mechanisms are known to influence micturition, and potentially such drugs could be developed for clinical use. However, a selective action on the lower urinary tract may be difficult to obtain.
Andersson
Karl-Erik
KE
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. Karl-Erik.Andersson@klin.farm.lu.se
D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology; D001745:Urinary Bladder Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology
D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D012701:Serotonin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine