About this Research Topic
Novel Mechanisms Involved in Urinary Bladder Control: Advances in Neural, Humoral and Local Factors Underlying Function and Disease, Volume II
Urinary bladder diseases and micturition dysfunctions affect millions of people worldwide. Aside from physical and functional problems, these conditions cause social and mental discomfort and affect the well-being of the affected patients due to the difficulty of performing several normal activities in daily life.
The mechanisms involved in urinary bladder control are not fully understood, and thus available treatments for lower urinary tract disorders are not always effective, representing a challenge in therapeutics and clinics. Also, the etiology of many disturbances affecting the lower urinary tract remains unknown. Despite the fact that classic neural pathways involved in urinary bladder control have been described and accepted up to now, and that different local bladder mediators have been identified, additional mechanisms involved in urinary bladder control are presumably important.
Current advances have demonstrated that neuro-humoral mechanisms can be activated and affect the urinary bladder control. In addition, similar to what happens to basal vertebrates, recent clinical and experimental findings have underpinned the existence of neural and humoral mechanisms common to micturition and water transport in mammals and human patients. The understanding of novel physiological mechanisms underlying urinary bladder control could open new perspectives for more effective therapeutics, improved diagnosis and even prevention of bladder dysfunctions.
This Research Topic is open for original research and review articles. We welcome manuscripts that cover one or more aspects of neural, humoral and local control of urinary bladder function. They include, but are not restricted to, classic and crosstalk message (hormonal, neural) transmission, water/electrolyte transport, systemic, comparative/evolution, behavioral, and clinical aspects.
Keywords: Urinary bladder, brain, autonomic nervous system, circulating factor, local factors
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