EFFECTS OF GLUCOSE DEPRIVATION ON THE CONTRACTILE RESPONSE OF THE RABBIT BLADDER TO REPETITIVE STIMULATION

The urinary bladder requires an adequate energy supply to maintain con tractile function. The primary metabolic fuel is glucose. Through glyc olysis and oxidative phosphorylation, high energy phosphates are gener ated, which in turn supply the metabolic energy for the contractile ac tivities of the urinary bladder. The aim of this study was to determin e the effects of glucose deprivation and recovery from glucose depriva tion on the phasic and tonic components of the contractile responses o f rabbit bladder strips to field stimulation, bethanechol, and KCl. Th e results can be summarized as follow: In response to glucose deprivat ion, (1) the tonic responses to field stimulation, bethanechol, and KC l all decreased at a significantly greater rate than the phasic respon ses; (2) the phasic and tonic responses to field stimulation were both reduced to less than 10% of control within 70 minutes of initiating g lucose deprivation; (3) the tonic responses to bethanechol and KCl wer e reduced to approximately 10% of control within 180 minutes whereas t he phasic responses remained stable at 40 and 30%, respectively; and ( 4) glucose replacement stimulated a rapid and nearly complete recovery of the phasic and tonic components of the responses to field stimulat ion, bethanechol, and KCl. These results indicate that the tonic respo nses to all forms of stimulation are more sensitive to glucose depriva tion than the phasic responses. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.