OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the expression of P2X3 receptors (implicated in the pathophysiology of pain) is altered in human bladder urothelium from patients with interstitial cystitis (IC, a major symptom of which is pain), and as P2X2 receptors can be co‐expressed with P2X3 receptors, to assess their expression also. PATIENTS AND METHODS Bladder tissue samples were collected from patients undergoing cystectomy or radical prostatectomy. Patients with IC were diagnosed using the international criteria. RNA protein expression levels of both receptors were evaluated using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real‐time quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis. RESULTS P2X2 was expressed in the human urothelium, in a glycosylated form. There was less gene expression of P2X3 in IC urothelium, whereas P2X2 gene expression was unchanged. This contrasted with the protein expression, which was increased for both P2X2 and P2X3. CONCLUSION This is the first report of the expression of the P2X2 receptor in human bladder urothelium. There was greater protein expression of both P2X2 and P2X3 in IC bladder urothelium which did not directly correlate with the gene expression. Changes in expression of P2X2 and P2X3 receptors may contribute to the pain that patients with IC have, and might provide novel drug targets.

A new gene belonging to the Eph/Eck/Elk receptor tyrosine kinase family has been cloned from mouse brain. The gene maps to mouse chromosome 4. In the adult brain it is expressed exclusively and abundantly in the hippocampus. We propose to name it Ebk (embryo brain kinase), as in situ hybridisation shows expression in many parts of the developing mouse brain. The most abundant expression is in the subcommissural organ, and the earliest expression is in the forebrain neural folds, in rhombomeres 2-6, and in somites and heart. Other regions positive at various stages include the cochlear duct, trigeminal ganglion, lung, first branchial arch, and tooth primordia. Also positive are areas of mesenchyme underlying various epithelia during morphogenesis, especially in the mouth and nose, as well as in the eyelids and toes. We compare these patterns with the available data on the 12 other known members of this gene family. Most of them, like Ebk, are expressed in brain (especially adult hippocampus and embryonic rhombomeres) and in organs rich in epithelia (especially lung), although the spatial and temporal patterns differ. We suggest that combinatorial patterns of these receptors act as labels for the regional identity of neurons and epithelia, and could mediate fine control of neurite pathfinding and epithelial morphogenesis.

The NHS Plan is for a health service designed around the patient. Several studies have investigated patients' preference for the gender of their doctor. However, within these studies, the patients have predominantly been females. The preferences of urology patients, of whom the majority are males, have not previously been investigated. The preferences for gender of urologist, from 496 consecutive patients attending urology clinic in a district general hospital, were investigated by questionnaires. The majority of patients had no preference for gender of their urologist. Of the patients who did have a preference, females were more likely to prefer the same gender urologist than males.