Effect of Age on Caveolae-mediated Signaling Pathways in Bladder Smooth Muscle

Hypothesis / aims of study Aging in both men and women is associated with several types of bladder dysfunction. Although the possible causes of bladder abnormalities related to aging have been investigated, the exact mechanisms involved in these disorders remain unclear. A previous ultrastructural study of bladder biopsies from elderly patients described a decrease in the number of caveolae in smooth muscle cells [1]. These specialized membrane microdomains serve as platforms to modulate and integrate signalling components that are activated in response to various physiologic agonists. Alterations of these structures have been shown to result in abnormal regulation of specific receptor-activated signaling pathways [2]. In this study, we investigated whether caveolar elements become altered in the bladder during aging, and whether these alterations contribute to bladder dysfunction.