Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32321501›Full record

ArticleBMC urology2020

Characterizing relaxin receptor expression and exploring relaxin's effect on tissue remodeling/fibrosis in the human bladder.

Edward C Diaz, Mason Briggs, Yan Wen, Guobing Zhuang, Shannon L Wallace, Amy D Dobberfuhl, Chia-Sui Kao, Bertha C Chen

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC urology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. New Insights into the Mechanism of Insulin-like Peptide 3 (International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. The mouse pubic symphysis: a narrative review.Frontiers in physiology · 2025
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Irreversible Bladder Remodeling Induced by Fibrosis.International neurourology journal · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Edward C DiazDepartment of Urology, Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Drive, Grant S-287, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. eddiaz@gmail.com.
Mason BriggsDepartment of Urology, Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Drive, Grant S-287, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Yan WenDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Drive, Rm A370, MC 5317, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Guobing ZhuangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Drive, Rm A370, MC 5317, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Shannon L WallaceDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Drive, Rm A370, MC 5317, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Amy D DobberfuhlDepartment of Urology, Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Drive, Grant S-287, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Chia-Sui KaoDepartment of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Drive, Rm L235, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Bertha C ChenDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Drive, Rm A370, MC 5317, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Stanford Medicine · USStanford University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRelaxin is an endogenous protein that has been shown to have antifibrotic properties in various organ systems. There has been no characterization of relaxin's role in the human bladder. Our objective was to characterize relaxin receptor expression in the human bladder and assess relaxin's effect on tissue remodeling/fibrosis pathways in bladder smooth muscle cells.

methodsRelaxin family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1) and RXFP2 expression was assessed using quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) on primary bladder tissue. Primary human smooth muscle bladder cells were cultured and stimulated with various concentrations of relaxin. Western blot, qRTPCR, ELISA, and zymogram assays were used to analyze fibrosis/tissue remodeling pathway proteins.

resultsThere was universal mRNA transcript detection and protein expression of relaxin receptors in primary bladder specimens. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated RXFP1 and RXFP2 localizing to both urothelial and smooth muscle cell layers of the bladder. 24 h of in vitro relaxin stimulation did not affect mRNA expression of selected proteins in human bladder smooth muscle cells. However, 48 h of in vitro relaxin stimulation resulted in upregulation of active (p = 0.004) and latent (p = 0.027) MMP-2 in cell lysate, and upregulation of active MMP-2 in supernatant (p = 0.04). There was a dose dependent relationship with increasing expression of MMP-2 with increasing relaxin concentration. Relaxin stimulation resulted in decreased levels of active and total TGF-β1 in supernatant and extracellular matrix (p < 0.005 with 100 ng/mL relaxin stimulation).

conclusionsIn the human bladder, relaxin receptors are expressed at the dome and trigone and localize to the urothelium and smooth muscle cell layers. Stimulation of human bladder SMCs with relaxin in vitro affects expression of MMP-2 and TGF-β1.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultCells, CulturedChildChild, PreschoolFemaleFibrosisHumansMaleMiddle AgedMuscle, SmoothReceptors, G-Protein-CoupledReceptors, PeptideUrinary BladderYoung AdultReceptors, G-Protein-CoupledReceptors, Peptiderelaxin receptorsBladderFibrosisRelaxinRXFP1RXFP2

Identifiers

PMID32321501
PMCPMC7178754
OpenAlexW3020692549

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.