URINARY-BLADDER URETHRAL SPHINCTER DYSFUNCTION IN MICE WITH TARGETED DISRUPTION OF NEURONAL NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE MODELS IDIOPATHIC VOIDINGDISORDERS IN HUMANS

Idiopathic voiding disorders affect up to 10-15% of men and women. We describe bladder abnormalities in mice with targeted deletion of the g ene for neuronal nitric oxide synthase which model the clinical disord ers. The mice possess hypertrophic dilated bladders and dysfunctional urinary outlets which do not relax in response to electrical field sti mulation or L-arginine. The mice also display increased urinary freque ncy.