Mesenchymal-epithelial interactions in the bladder

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Abstract
Summary During bladder development, undifferentiated mesenchymal and epithelial cells undergo an orderly sequence of differentiation defined by the expression of smooth-muscle (α-actin, myosin, vinculin, desmin, vimentin, and laminin) and epithelial (cytokeratins 5, 7, 8, 14, 18 and 19) protein markers. This process requires mesenchymal-epithelial interactions with bladder epithelium (urothelium) necessary for the differentiation of bladder smooth muscle. Peptide growth factors such as keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and transforming growth factors (TGF) α and β are likely candidates as mediators of these mesenchymal-epithelial interactions. Transcripts for KGF, TGF α, and TGF β are regulated during bladder development and during smooth-muscle hypertrophy secondary to bladder-outlet obstruction. Finally, two experimental bladder models — (1) partial outlet obstruction and (2) regeneration of bladder smooth muscle into an acellular tissue matrix — are described in the context of mesenchymal-epithelial interactions in the bladder.

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