title: Mechanisms of Visceral Organ Crosstalk: Importance of Alterations in Permeability in Rodent Models.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pathophysiology of painful bladder syndrome is poorly understood. However, there is evidence of female predominance and comorbidity with irritable bowel syndrome. Our hypothesis is that cross-sensitization between bladder and colon is due to altered permeability in 1 organ, which affects the other organ.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experiments were performed in anesthetized, ovariectomized female rats. In separate groups protamine sulfate was infused in the bladder or trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid was infused in the colon. Untreated rats served as controls. Bladder and colonic tissue were harvested from all rats 1, 3 and 5 days after treatment. Permeability was assessed in vitro in Ussing chambers by measuring transepithelial electrical resistance and macromolecular flux of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposing the bladder to protamine sulfate induced a significant decrease in bladder transepithelial electrical resistance and an increase in the translocation of fluorescein isothiocyanate across the tissue compared to controls at 1 and 3 days (p <0.05). Colonic tissue from rats with enhanced bladder permeability showed a significant decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance and increase in fluorescein isothiocyanate compared to untreated controls at all time points (p <0.05). Conversely when colonic permeability was increased with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid, we observed an increase in bladder permeability in the absence of any changes to the bladder urothelium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in epithelial permeability may represent a novel mechanism for visceral organ crosstalk. It may explain the overlapping symptomology of painful bladder syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Electronic address: beverley-greenwood@ouhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Greenwood-Van Meerveld
authors.affiliation: Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tyler
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Gordon
authors.affiliation: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Rheal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Towner
authors.affiliation: Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hurst
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018856:Cystitis, Interstitial / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010539:Permeability; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: colon; cystitis; inflammation; interstitial; irritable bowel syndrome; urinary bladder