I work with scaffolds, but I don't know so much about biology. I have understand than in the urethra there are smooth muscle cell, and the vascular smooth muscle cells refers to the particular type of smooth muscle found within, and composing the majority of the wall of blood vessels. So, this types of cells have the same characteristics? Thanks in advance!
At a very basic level, smooth muscle cells have been categorised into two distinct groups:
MULTI-UNIT smooth muscle consists of discrete units that function independently of each other and must be separately stimulated by nerves of the autonomic nervous system in order to contract Such muscle is found in the walls of large blood vessels, in large airways in the lungs, in the muscle of the eye that controls the lens and in the base of hair follicles in the skin.
SINGLE-UNIT muscle is the more common (aka visceral muscle) and is found in the walls of hollow organs (e.g. digestive, reproductive, urinary system). Sheets of single-unit muscle fibres contract as a single unit as they are electrically linked by gap junctions (rather like cardiac muscle). Single unit smooth muscle is self-excitable as clusters of specialised smooth muscle cells display spontaneous electrical activity.
I hope this helps you.
Hi Vehid Salih, thank you very much for your answer, was a great help for me.
Dear Vehid, what do you mean with a very basic level?, thanks in advance
Julio
In simple terms . . . . . there are many more molecular and even genetic differences between similar cell types from different areas of the body e.g. dermal vs oral fibroblasts as well as smooth muscle cells etc. So I am referring to the very basic first order of category between smooth muscle cells i.e. multi-unit vs single unit. You can then look deeper and investigate further more complex differences.
Hi Julio, as Dr. Salih said, smooth muscle cells from various tissues own many similar features. However, cells could get some specific characteristics under different conditions. Thus, if you want to evulate the compatibility of vascular scaffolds, you had better use vascular smooth muscle cells.
Hi Ping, thanks for your answer. My work is about a scaffold for the urethra, taking advantage of the opportunity, I want to ask another question. The same thing happens with the urothelial cells and the endothelial cells? Thanks in advance Vehid and Ping.
P.D. I am a mechanical engineer, I do not have knowledge of biology, thanks for your understanding
Hi Julio
There is a basic and important difference between the Endothelial cells and urothelial that is the pH of their environment. The pH of ECs is approximately 7.4, because they're in contact with blood. Consequently, blood can affects on their charge. The charge of ECs is negative. But UCs are in contact with urine (pH 6 - 6.5),
due to the presence of uric acid. As a result, the resistance of UCs is higher than the ECs in acidic condition.
Another difference is the rhythmic pulses, that are in ECs ( because of the heart beating). But we have static condition in UCs (Hydrostatic environment).
I hope, they have been helpful for you.
Good Luck
Dear Reza, thanks for the answer is a great help for me.
Julio
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