Autonomous contractile activity in the isolated rat bladder is modulated by a TRPV1 dependent mechanism

Aims Resiniferatoxin (RTX), a vanilloid compound and agonist of the transient receptor potential channel 1 (TRPV1), is known for its beneficial effects on neurogenic detrusor overactivity. The mainstream rationale for its use is the desensitization of TRPV1 on sensory bladder afferents. However, recent findings showed that TRPV1 is present in other cell types in the bladder. To eliminate the effects of RTX on spinal and central neural circuits, we investigated autonomous contractility in normal and neurogenic rat bladders after treatment with RTX. Methods Female Wistar rats were made paraplegic at vertebral level T8–T9. Animals were intravesically pre‐treated with vehicle (ethanol 5%) or RTX (100 nM) and sacrificed after 72 hr. Each bladder was excised and placed in a heated organ bath, where intravesical pressures were measured. Effects on contractile parameters of intravesical volume load, the non‐selective muscarinic receptor agonist carbachol (CA) and electrical stimulation (ES) of nerves were studied in both groups. Results In RTX‐treated normal bladders we found shorter contractions with higher amplitude than in control bladders ( P  < 0.05). In RTX‐treated neurogenic bladders the amplitude and duration of autonomous contractions were increased compared with controls ( P  < 0.05). Furthermore RTX induced an increased response to CA and to ES ( P  < 0.05). Conclusions RTX significantly affected the properties of autonomous bladder contractile activity. This provides evidence for local effects of RTX on bladder contractile activity, which are not mediated by afferent neural pathways and which may contribute to the beneficial effects on detrusor overactivity. TRPV1 and TRPV1 + cells seem to play an important role in (autonomous) bladder contractility. Neurourol. Urodynam. 26:424–432, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.