Role of urothelial nerve growth factor in human bladder function.
OBJECTIVE
To test whether nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration in human bladder urothelium/suburothelium is related to detrusor overactivity (DO), bladder sensation, detrusor contractility, or other aspects of lower urinary tract function.


METHODS
Concentration of NGF was measured (using ELISA) in superficial bladder biopsies from 27 women (mean age 52 years, range 22-82) after comprehensive video-urodynamics and bladder diary. Approximately half (12/27) showed clear DO and half did not.


RESULTS
There was no evidence for increased NGF concentration in subjects with DO (association negative by Mann-Whitney test, P = 0.23). NGF was not significantly associated with two measures of detrusor contractility (Spearman's r = -0.29, P = 0.17; r = -0.20, P = 0.33); nor with four measures inversely related to sensation: volume at strong desire to void and maximum capacity on cystometry (r = -0.13, P = 0.53; r = -0.23, P = 0.28), and maximum voided volume and mean daytime voided volume on bladder diary (r = -0.29, P = 0.16; r = -0.16, P = 0.44). It was significantly associated with 24-hr urine output on bladder diary (Spearman's r = -0.55, P = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated NGF levels in human urothelium/suburothelium are not strongly associated with DO, detrusor contractility or increased bladder sensation. NGF levels are lower in subjects with higher 24-hr urine output. This observation is consistent with a role for NGF in an active process (trafficking) involved in bladder filling.
Birder
Lori A
LA
Renal-Electrolyte Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Wolf-Johnston
Amanda
A
Griffiths
Derek
D
Resnick
Neil M
NM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012677:Sensation; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D053201:Urinary Bladder, Overactive / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014556:Urine; D014563:Urodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D019459:Urothelium / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D020932:Nerve Growth Factor