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Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology of the Lower Urinary Tract

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Urologic Principles and Practice

Part of the book series: Springer Specialist Surgery Series ((SPECIALIST))

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Abstract

The bladder and urethra constitute a functional unit controlled by a complex interplay between the central and peripheral nervous systems and local regulatory factors. Peripherally, lower urinary tract function is dependent on the coordinated action of the smooth and striated muscles of the urinary bladder, urethra, and periurethral region. Various neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine, noradrenaline, adenosine triphosphate, nitric oxide, and neuropeptides, have been implicated in this neural regulation, which in the adult is controlled by a spinobulbospinal reflex, which is under suprapontine control. In the present review the relevant anatomy, innervation and receptor functions in the bladder and urethra are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA

    Karl-Erik Andersson

  2. Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Karl-Erik Andersson

  3. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Alan J. Wein

Authors
  1. Karl-Erik Andersson
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  2. Alan J. Wein
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Correspondence to Karl-Erik Andersson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation, Sheffield, UK

    Christopher R. Chapple

  2. Department of Urology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    William D. Steers

  3. Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Christopher P. Evans

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Andersson, KE., Wein, A.J. (2020). Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology of the Lower Urinary Tract. In: Chapple, C., Steers, W., Evans, C. (eds) Urologic Principles and Practice. Springer Specialist Surgery Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28599-9_7

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