title: [Nitric oxide pathway and female lower urinary tract. Physiological and pathophysiological role].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to review the literature on nitric oxide and female lower urinary tract.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature review through the PubMed library until December, 31 2012 was carried out using the following keywords: lower urinary tract, bladder, urethra, nervous central system, innervation, female, women, nitric oxide, phosphodiesterase, bladder outlet obstruction, urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, urinary tract infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two nitric oxide synthase isoforms, the neuronal (nNOS) and the endothelial (eNOS), are constitutively expressed in the lower urinary tract. Nevertheless, nNOS is mainly expressed in the bladder neck and the urethra. In the bladder, NO modulates the afferent neurons activity. In pathological condition, inducible NOS expression induces an increase in detrusor contractility and bladder wall thickness and eNOS facilitates Escherichia coli bladder wall invasion inducing recurrent urinary tract infections. In the urethra, NO play a major role in smooth muscle cells relaxation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NO pathway plays a major role in the female lower urinary tract physiology and physiopathology. While it acts mainly on bladder outlet, in pathological condition, it is involved in bladder dysfunction occurrence.
authors.affiliation: Département d'urologie, centre hospitalier universitaire de Rangueil, hôpital Rangueil, 1, avenue du Pr-Jean-Poulhès, TSA 50032, 31059 Toulouse cedex, France; Laboratoire de physiologie, centre hospitalier universitaire de Rangueil, institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale U1048, 31059 Toulouse, France. Electronic address: xaviergame@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gamé
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rischmann
authors.forename: J-F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Arnal
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Malavaud
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism*; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014521:Urethra / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D001748:Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction / Q000201:enzymology; D053201:Urinary Bladder, Overactive / Q000201:enzymology; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000201:enzymology; D014551:Urinary Tract / Q000201:enzymology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000201:enzymology; D014553:Urinary Tract Physiological Phenomena
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C496320:NOS1 protein, human; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases
keywords: Bas appareil urinaire; Bladder; Femme; Lower urinary tract; Monoxyde d’azote; Nitric oxide; Urethra; Urètre; Vessie; Women