Summary: Disruption of guinea pig urinary bladder
permeability barrier in noninfectious cystitis
JOHN P. LAVELLE,1 GERARD APODACA,2 SUSAN A. MEYERS,2
WILY G. RUIZ,2 AND MARK L. ZEIDEL2
1Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, and 2Laboratory of Epithelial Cell Biology,
Renal-Electrolyte Division, Department of Medicine and Department of Cell Biology and
Physiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Lavelle, John P., Gerard Apodaca, Susan A. Meyers,
Wily G. Ruiz, and Mark L. Zeidel. Disruption of guinea pig
urinary bladder permeability barrier in noninfectious cysti-
tis. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Renal Physiol. 43): F205­F214,
1998.--Although most cell membranes permit rapid flux of
water, small nonelectrolytes, and ammonia, the apical mem-
branes of bladder epithelial umbrella cells, which form the
bladder permeability barrier, exhibit strikingly low perme-
abilities to these substances. In cystitis, disruption of the
bladder permeability barrier may irritate the bladder wall
layers underlying the epithelium, causing or exacerbating
inflammation, and increasing urinary frequency, urgency,
and bladder pain. To determine the effects of inflammation on

Source: Apodaca, Gerard - Departments of Medicine & Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh

Collections: Biology and Medicine