Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Genetic Ablation Of Kir2.1 Channels And Its Effects On Micturition In Conscious Mice, Ryan Thomas Shields

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Detrusor muscle overactivity in the bladder wall is the hallmark symptom of overactive bladder syndrome and the principal target of therapy that seeks to reduce incontinence and urinary urgency. However, these interventions typically fail to alleviate long-term detrusor overactivity and simply mask the underlying pathology while also potentially introducing undesirable side effects that disrupt quality of life. One alternative mechanism driving of overactive bladder is attributed to ischemia within the bladder, which is subject to enormous swings in pressure and tension on its vasculature restricting blood flow. This observation, coupled with the fact that healthy vascular tissue within the bladder …