Study on the Effects of Drugs That Modulate the Endocannabinoid System on Spontaneous and Induced Contractility of the Human Detrusor Muscle
The goal of this observational, in vitro study is to evaluate the effects of drugs that modulate the endocannabinoid system on spontaneous and neuronally induced contractility of the human detrusor. The study will include adult patients undergoing elective radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. The main questions it aims to answer are whether modulation of endocannabinoid receptors, enzymes involved in endocannabinoid synthesis and degradation, and endocannabinoid transport mechanisms alters basal detrusor contractility and modifies excitatory motor responses induced by neuronal activation. Participants undergoing radical cystectomy will provide written informed consent for the collection of a small sample of macroscopically healthy bladder tissue from the surgical specimen. Detrusor muscle strips will be prepared and studied in vitro using organ bath techniques. Contractile activity will be recorded under baseline conditions and after electrical field stimulation, as well as following exposure to pharmacological modulators of the endocannabinoid system. Demographic, clinical, and pathological data will also be collected for descriptive analysis.
• Age ≥ 18 years.
• Patients with bladder carcinoma at any stage of disease, undergoing upfront surgery or neoadjuvant therapy for more than 6 weeks, scheduled for surgery with curative/demolitive intent.
• Signed written informed consent to participate in the study.