Diurnal change of urothelial function focusing on the hemichannel of connexin43

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25893100
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Environmental physiology(including physical medicine and nutritional physiology)
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: NEGORO Hiromitsu 京都大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (80708595)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-08-30 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 体内時計 / 尿路上皮 / コネキシン43 / ヘミチャネル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have found that major clock genes and connexin43 (Cx43), a gap junction protein in the bladder, were expressed in the circadian manner in two immortalized human urothelial cells (TRT-HU1 and nhu-hTERT) by synchronizing the clock in each cells using serum shock method. To address whether Cx43 has a function as hemichannel, overexpression/knock down of Cx43 were induced in these cells. The amount of ATP release from nhu-TERT with Cx43 overexpression was higher compared with that from the control. On the other hand, the amount of ATP release by mechanical stimulation was smaller in TRT-HU1 with knock down of Cx43 or with addition of hemichannel inhibitors than that in their controls. These results indicate that one of the pathways of ATP release is the Cx43 hemichannel in these urothelial cells.
We presently progress the research to investigate whether the amount of ATP release has diurnal change and how the role of urethral Cx43 for the bladder function by using mouse model.

Free Research Field

排尿障害