ANGIOTENSIN II (ANG II), acting on AT1 receptors, results in a variety of physiological effects, such as vasoconstriction, tubular sodium retention, and increased arterial blood pressure (4, 5). Interestingly, increased ANG II signaling also results in increased urinary protein leakage. The increased protein leakage across the glomerular filtration barrier has classically been attributed to the...

Patients with ileal continent urinary diversion may present some awkward challenges to internists which have a considerable role in their long-term management. The potential metabolic complications result from both unphysiological exposure of the ileum to urine and decrease in absorbitive bowel capacity. Moreover, a variety of histopathomorphosic changes have been reported in ileal segment beca...

Separating digestive and urinary outlets is a critical step during mammalian embryogenesis. However, the natural history of these structures is poorly studied, and little is known about their embryonic origin. Here, we show that peri-cloacal mesenchymal (PCM) progenitors are the major source of these structures. Surprisingly, PCM progenitors also contribute to perineum, a structural barrier sep...

Urinary recovery of intratracheally instilled polyethylene glycol polymers (PEG:s) in the molecular weight range 722-1294 Da (PEG 1000) was studied under normal conditions and during experimentally induced lung damage in rats. The urinary PEG recoveries were between 30-60% under normal conditions, with a selectivity for smaller PEG:s. No significant differences in the urinary PEG molecular weig...

Measurements have been made of the permeability of the isolated urinary bladder of the toad to a number of small solute molecules, in the presence and absence of vasopressin. Vasopressin has a strikingly specific effect on increasing permeability of the bladder to a group of small, uncharged amides and alcohols while penetration by other small molecules and ions is unaffected. The movement of u...

Permeability barriers must exist in transitional epithelium to prevent the free flow of water from underlying blood capillaries through the epithelium into the hypertonic urine, and such a barrier has now been demonstrated in isolated bladders. This barrier is passive in function and can be destroyed by damaging the luminal surface of the transitional epithelium with sodium hydroxide and 8 M ur...

Kidney diseases involving urinary loss of large essential macromolecules, such as serum albumin, have long been thought to be caused by alterations in the permeability barrier comprised of podocytes, vascular endothelial cells, and a basement membrane working in unison. Data from our laboratory using intravital 2-photon microscopy revealed a more permeable glomerular filtration barrier (GFB) th...

BACKGROUND Although nicotine dependence plays a role as a main barrier for smoking cessation, there is still a lack of solid evidence on the validity of biomarkers to determine nicotine dependence in clinical settings. This study aimed to investigate whether urinary cotinine levels could reflect the severity of nicotine dependence in active smokers. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data regarding genera...

The mammalian urinary bladder is a hollow organ adapted to short-term storage of urine, which contains waste products of metabolism, some of them being potentially toxic. During the micturition cycle, the urinary bladder is gradually distended by a flow of urine from ureters and then at a certain degree of fullness it is relatively rapidly contracted by voiding. One of the tasks of the bladder ...