Contractile responses in intact and mucosa-denuded human ureter-a comparison with urinary bladder detrusor preparations

Human proximal and distal ureter tissues were studied to clarify whether the presence of mucosa affects contractile responses. In histological studies, human ureter was compared with urinary bladder (detrusor). Contractions in response to high KCl solution, phenylephrine, and carbachol were measured in intact and mucosa-denuded strips of human ureter. Tissue sections of human bladder and ureter were used for histological staining. Thirty-four percent of the ureter strips contracted spontaneously with highly variable patterns, and this was affected neither by mucosa nor by proximal or distal tissue origin. Upon stimulation with 40 mM KCl, ureter strips exhibited strong phasic and weak tonic contractions. In intact strips, normalized tonic force was lower than in denuded strips, but no consistent effect of mucosa was observed with phasic contractions. Absolute force values of phasic contractions were weaker in proximal than distal ureter strips, but similar when normalized to tissue wet weight. Stimulation with 80 mM KCl enhanced tonic contraction fourfold; phasic contractions occurred rarely. Phenylephrine produced no statistically significant stronger tonic contraction in distal compared with proximal ureter strips; nevertheless, in some strips, pre-existing spontaneous contractions increased. Carbachol did not influence ureter contractions. In the bladder, a suburothelial cell layer stained positive with alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA)-specific antibodies could be further differentiated with vimentin- and desmin-specific antibodies. alpha-SMA positive cells were absent in suburothelial ureter tissue. Like in detrusor, the mucosa inhibits KCl-stimulated tonic ureter contractions. The mucosa of detrusor and ureter tissue exhibits distinct staining patterns for alpha-SMA, vimentin, and desmin. This suggests a different distribution of smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and myofibroblasts, which could be a target for pharmacological therapy of pathologic contractile processes.