Three-dimensional bladder tissue morphology

Almost 600 million people are suffering from lower urinary tract dysfunctions worldwide, especially the elderly. The underlying causes are not fully understood. Therefore, this dissertation aims at increasing the knowledge of bladder tissue morphology, and more specifically also the nervous supply of the bladder wall. For this purpose, the organ architecture of the bladder of a mouse model has been investigated in a three dimensional setting. Moreover, age-related changes of bladder morphology have been found, when comparing old and young mice. This dissertation shows the successful development and application of different and novel microscopic techniques, such as a computer-assisted model for bladder nerve tracing and intravital bladder imaging.