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Abstract There is a close relationship between the structural and embryological development of the female lower urinary and lower genital tracts. Alteration in gonadal hormones may influence the dynamic interaction between the bladder and urethra. Progesterone has an enhancing effect upon the beta adrenergic receptors which has an opposite effect to the alpha adrenergic receptors i.e. Smooth muscle relaxation. The human bladder body contains both alpha and beta receptors with beta variety being the common, while the bladder neck and urethra contain predominantly alpha receptors, thus the greater effect of progesterone occurs on the bladder body. Estrogens appear to increase the sensitivity of the alpha adrenergic receptors which predominate in the female bladder neck and urethra, thus enhancing the alpha contractile response of the bladder neck and urethra to endogenous catecholamine. |