Optical EUS Activation to Relax Sensitized Micturition Response.

This study aims to activate the external urethral sphincter (EUS), which plays a critical role in micturition control, through optogenetics and to determine its potential contribution to the stabilization of sensitized micturition activity. The viral vector () is utilized to introduce light-gated ion channels (hChR2/H134R) into the EUS of wild-type mice. Following the induction of sensitized micturition activity using weak acetic acid (0.

Optogenetic Modulation of Urinary Bladder Contraction for Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction.

As current clinical approaches for lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunction such as pharmacological and electrical stimulation treatments lack target specificity, thus resulting in suboptimal outcomes with various side effects, a better treatment modality with spatial and temporal target-specificity is necessary. In this study, we delivered optogenetic membrane proteins, such as channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) and halorhodopsin (NpHR), to bladder smooth muscle cells (SMCs) of mice using either the Cre-loxp transgenic system or a viral transfection method. The results showed that depolarizing ChR2-SMCs with blue light induced bladder contraction, whereas hyperpolarizing NpHR-SMCs with yellow light suppressed PGE-induced overactive contraction.