@Article{,
AUTHOR = {Lynn Stothers, Ismail Laher, George T. Christ},
TITLE = {A review of the L-arginine – nitric oxide – guanylate cyclase pathway as a mediator of lower urinary tract physiology and symptoms},
JOURNAL = {Canadian Journal of Urology},
VOLUME = {10},
YEAR = {2003},
NUMBER = {5},
PAGES = {1971--1980},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/CJU/v10n5/62716},
ISSN = {1488-5581},
ABSTRACT = {Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common and
costly conditions that affect millions of men and women
worldwide. A focal area of research into the cause and
potential treatment of LUTS is the nitric oxide pathway,
which is involved in nerve-induced relaxation in the lower
urinary tract. Isoforms of NOS, including nNOS, eNOS,
and iNOS, have been identified in the lower urinary tract
of both animals and humans. Nerves that are
immunoreactive to nitric oxide synthase (NOS) mainly
serve the bladder outlet region, but some serve the
detrusor. Pathology of the l-arginine-nitric oxide-cGMP
pathway involving nNOS and eNOS may lead to
impaired relaxation of the urethral outlet, increased
bladder afferent activity, and detrusor smooth muscle
overactivity. Such pathology has been implicated in the
conditions of detrusor instability, urinary incontinence
and outlet obstruction. iNOS may play an important
role in inflammatory and infectious conditions of the
bladder. Strategic manipulation of nitric oxide (NO), or
interventions that address its mechanisms of action,
possibly by pharmacological means or with gene therapy,
may restore function or produce desired functional effects
in the lower urinary tract.},
DOI = {}
}