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Treatment for overactive bladder and irritable bowel syndrome advanced through pioneering research

Date:
August 21, 2014
Source:
University of Surrey
Summary:
Researchers have discovered how the receptors responsible for contractions in the bladder regulate the body's clock genes. The new study has found that this clock activity in turn regulates the cycle of all cells in the body. The team of researchers also discovered that the local biological clock and its control are weakened in aging bladders, demonstrating the importance of the clock in bladder physiology and aging.
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Researchers at the University of Surrey have discovered how the receptors responsible for contractions in the bladder, regulate the body's clock genes.

The new study, published in The FASEB Journal, has found that this clock activity in turn regulates the cycle of all cells in the body. The team of researchers also discovered that the local biological clock and its control are weakened in aging bladders, demonstrating the importance of the clock in bladder physiology and aging.

While currently much is known about the central biological clock, little is known about the peripheral clocks in the body. This latest research challenges the long-held view that the central clock of the brain controls all the peripheral clocks in other parts of the body and that these in turn control the down-stream receptor molecules which generate specific cell activities, such as contraction, secretion and metabolism. However, researchers have found that receptors in the bladder, a muscular hollow organ in the body, exert control over the local clocks. The control of organ function via an interaction between the peripheral clocks and the receiving receptors is an important finding for understanding the pathology and development of new treatments for common diseases of the bladder, such as bladder overactivity and irritable bowel syndrome.

The team also believes the study will help advance understanding of how aging affects organ function in the body as the normal control of daily rhythms by the clock is weakened in aging tissue.

"Previously, people have believed that the brain 'master' clock controls the 'slave' peripheral clocks, but our study is the first to show that in a contractile organ, such as the bladder, its receptors also control these clocks," said lead author Dr Changhao Wu from the University of Surrey.

"By influencing the receptors in the bladder, we can also change our clock genes. These clocks are crucial in maintaining our physiological rhythm and preventing unwanted activities associated with an overactive bladder."


Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Surrey. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. C. Wu, G. Sui, S. N. Archer, P. Sassone-Corsi, K. Aitken, D. Bagli, Y. Chen. Local receptors as novel regulators for peripheral clock expression. The FASEB Journal, 2014; DOI: 10.1096/fj.13-243295

Cite This Page:

University of Surrey. "Treatment for overactive bladder and irritable bowel syndrome advanced through pioneering research." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 August 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140821161349.htm>.
University of Surrey. (2014, August 21). Treatment for overactive bladder and irritable bowel syndrome advanced through pioneering research. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140821161349.htm
University of Surrey. "Treatment for overactive bladder and irritable bowel syndrome advanced through pioneering research." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140821161349.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

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