Partners in Crime: NGF and BDNF in Visceral Dysfunction

Ana Coelho, Raquel Oliveira, Tiago Antunes-Lopes, Tiago Antunes‐Lopes, Célia Duarte Cruz
Current neuropharmacology · 2019 · vol. 17(11) , pp. 1021–1038 · doi:10.2174/1570159x17666190617095844 · PMID:31204623 · W2953386289
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This review examines the established roles of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in visceral dysfunctions like bladder pain syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome, and their potential as urinary biomarkers.

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Abstract

Neurotrophins (NTs), particularly Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), have attracted increasing attention in the context of visceral function for some years. Here, we examined the current literature and presented a thorough review of the subject. After initial studies linking of NGF to cystitis, it is now well-established that this neurotrophin (NT) is a key modulator of bladder pathologies, including Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis (BPS/IC) and Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/CPPS. NGF is upregulated in bladder tissue and its blockade results in major improvements on urodynamic parameters and pain. Further studies expanded showed that NGF is also an intervenient in other visceral dysfunctions such as endometriosis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). More recently, BDNF was also shown to play an important role in the same visceral dysfunctions, suggesting that both NTs are determinant factors in visceral pathophysiological mechanisms. Manipulation of NGF and BDNF improves visceral function and reduce pain, suggesting that clinical modulation of these NTs may be important; however, much is still to be investigated before this step is taken. Another active area of research is centered on urinary NGF and BDNF. Several studies show that both NTs can be found in the urine of patients with visceral dysfunction in much higher concentration than in healthy individuals, suggesting that they could be used as potential biomarkers. However, there are still technical difficulties to be overcome, including the lack of a large multicentre placebo-controlled studies to prove the relevance of urinary NTs as clinical biomarkers.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_paininterstitial_cystitisirritable_bowel_syndrome

MeSH descriptors

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Colon Genitalia Nerve Growth Factor Urinary Bladder Visceral Pain Animals Colon Genitalia Humans Urinary Bladder Visceral Pain Visceral Pain

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