Alterations of the Myovesical Plexus of the Human Overactive Detrusor
Figure 7
N-Cadherin upregulation and PGP9.5 downregulation in smooth muscle bundles. N-Cadherin (green) was double labeled with PGP9.5 (red) and counterstained with Dapi. Note red background signal in smooth muscle cells that was upgraded to facilitate tissue orientation. Detrusor smooth muscle fascicles (Det) are demarcated by the dotted orange line. (a) Detrusor smooth muscle bundles in normal bladder show a dense PGP9.5 nerve profile in combination with a low level of N-cadherin expression. Arrow shows N-cadherin positive cell. (b) A muscle fascicle in NDO specimen with relatively low PGP9.5 expression (arrowheads) and a relatively high level of N-cadherin+ ICs (arrows). Magnification X630. (c) Cryosection of NDO specimen showing PGP9.5 negative muscle fascicles with high level of punctate N-cadherin expression. Note that PGP9.5+ nerve profiles in the interfascicular cleft closely associate with N-cadherin+ structures (arrow). (d) Smooth muscle fascicle with severely upregulated expression of N-cadherin. Note that the intensity of N-cadherin expressions seems higher than PGP9.5 expression in normal bladder as shown in (a). Magnification X400. Binocular epifluorescent microscopy.
