Beta-3 adrenergic receptors could be significant factors for overactive bladder-related symptoms.

The treatment failure often happens in overactive bladder (OAB) partly owing to its unknown pathogenesis. The purpose of this study is to find significant receptors or biological markers for OAB-related symptoms for establishment of potential order-made therapeutic strategies. The overactive bladder symptom scores (OABSS) and international prostate symptom scores (IPSS)/quality of life (QOL) were questioned in all the 18 patients with OAB diagnosis. Their bladder mucosal tissues were taken from the random biopsy of bladder cancer suspected patients without any finding such as inflammation or carcinoma in situ. They were investigated quantitatively by immunohistochemical (IHC) stainings for inflammatory or immune-system (Interleukin (IL)-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2)), Caspase-3 apoptosis markers, angiogenesis (CD-31), epithelial-mesenchymal transition (E-cadherin) and muscarinic receptor (Muscarine-2 (M)-2), adrenergic receptors (ARs) (alpha 1-d (α1-d) and beta-3 (β-3)). The statistical correlation between the expressions of these 5 markers and 3 receptors and these symptom scores were examined under the comparison between OAB patients and control patients who had urgency score with less than 2 in OABSS. The OABSS and IPSS/QOL was 7.39 ± 2.69 and 21.2 ± 6.59/4.33 ± 1.33, respectively but those of control patients were 2.00 ± 1.41 and 10.1 ± 9.52/2.14 ± 1.46, respectively (P<0.05). Regarding the correlation of those markers' expressions and symptom scores, in OAB patients, OABSS total significantly correlated with β-3 AR expressions (P=0.0457). IPSS post-voiding significantly correlated with β-3 AR expressions (P=0.0308) but no significant relationship in control patients (P>0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that β-3 AR in our tested 8 markers or receptors was correlated strongly with OAB-related symptoms. These data may help elucidate the pathophysiology of OAB and offer possible strategy for its order-made therapies.