MESENCHYMAL-EPITHELIAL INTERACTIONS IN BLADDER SMOOTH MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT: EPITHELIAL SPECIFICITY

Abstract

The mechanism whereby urothelium induces bladder mesenchyme to differentiate into smooth muscle is not specific to embryonic urothelium. Older urothelium and heterotypic epithelium also induce smooth muscle differentiation. With the common use of bowel, stomach and ureteral segments for bladder augmentation it is important to understand the interaction of different types of epithelium with the native bladder.