title: Long term partial bladder outlet obstruction induced contractile dysfunction in male rabbits: a role for Rho-kinase.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study we examined the expression of Rho-kinase (ROK) isoforms in rabbit detrusor smooth muscle during the progression of partial bladder outlet obstruction and correlated them with the time course of obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Detrusor samples were obtained from bladders after 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks of obstruction and also sham operated control rabbits. Contractile responses to field stimulation (FS) and also the smooth muscle (SM) to collagen ratio were determined in isolated bladder strips. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting were used to determine the relative levels of ROK isoform expression at the mRNA and protein levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bladder weight increased gradually and contractile responses were reduced significantly over the course of obstruction. The smooth muscle/collagen ratio increased significantly during the course of obstruction. The expression of ROKalpha increased significantly to approximately the same extent in 1-4-week obstructed groups and increased further in the 8-week obstructed group, both at the mRNA and protein levels. In contrast, there was a significant decrease in the expression of ROKbeta in the obstructed groups, which gradually decrease during the course of 1-4-week obstruction period and are slightly upregulated at the decompensated stage at 8-week obstruction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The change in the isoforms of ROK may be part of the molecular mechanism for bladder compensation following partial bladder outlet obstruction.
authors.affiliation: Section of Pediatric Urology, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guven
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Onal
authors.forename: Carmin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalorin
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Whitbeck
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chichester
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kogan
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mannikarottu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001748:Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007527:Isoenzymes; D003094:Collagen; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases