Platelet derived growth factor-BB is a potent mitogen for rat ureteral and human bladder smooth muscle cells: dependence on lipid rafts for cell signaling.

Purpose: Fibromuscular tissues of the detrusor/bladder body (B), trigone (T) and ureter (U) display distinct patterns of tissue remodeling in pathologic contexts, however the mechanisms underlying these observations are unknown. In this study we asked whether B, T and U smooth muscle cells (SMC) respond to several SMC growth factors and explored the role of caveolae/lipid raft membrane microdomains in signaling by one of these factors, PDGF-BB.

Materials And Methods: SMC were isolated and cultured from B, T and U from newborn rats and from human bladder detrusor.