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Wu Z, Tang Z, Zheng Z, Tan S. A novel trauma induced urethral stricture in rat model. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6325. [PMID: 38491041 PMCID: PMC10943079 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55408-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Urethral stricture (US) is a longstanding disease, while there has not existed a suitable animal model to mimic the condition. We aimed to establish a trauma-induced US animal model to simulate this clinical scenario. A total of 30 rats were equally distributed into two groups, sham and US group. All rats were anesthetized with isoflurane and undergone cystostomy. In the US group, a 2 mm incision was made in the urethra and sutured to induce US. The sham group only make a skin incision on the ventral side of the anterior urethra. 4 weeks later, ultrasound and cystourethrography were performed to evaluate the degree of urethral stricture, pathological examinations were carried out to evaluate the degree of fibrosis. Urodynamic evaluation and mechanical tissue testing were performed to evaluate the bladder function and urethral tissue stiffness. The results showed that the urethral mucosa was disrupted and urethral lumen was stenosed in the US group. Additionally, the US group showed elevated bladder pressure, prolonged micturition intervals and increased tissue stiffness. In conclusion, the rat urethral stricture model induced by trauma provides a closer representation of the real clinical scenario. This model will significantly contribute to advancing research on the mechanisms underlying traumatic urethral stricture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqiang Wu
- Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Provincial Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Genitourinary System Disease, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengyan Tang
- Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
- Provincial Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Genitourinary System Disease, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhihuan Zheng
- Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
- Provincial Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Genitourinary System Disease, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shuo Tan
- Department of Urology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
- Provincial Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Genitourinary System Disease, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
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Zhou L, Yang T, Zhao F, Song K, Xu L, Xu Z, Zhou C, Qin Z, Xu Z, Wu R, Xu H, Jia R. Effect of uncultured adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction on preventing urethral stricture formation in rats. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3573. [PMID: 35246575 PMCID: PMC8897427 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07472-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Urethral stricture (US) remains a challenging disease without effective treatment options due to the high recurrence rate. This study aims to evaluate the preventive effect of uncultured adipose derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) on urethral fibrosis in a rat model of US. Results demonstrated that US rats displayed hyperechogenic urethral wall with a narrowed lumen compared with sham rats, while SVF rats exhibited less extensive urethral changes. By histology, US rats showed obvious submucosal fibrosis in the urethral specimens, while SVF rats exhibited mild submucosal fibrosis with less extensive tissue changes. Furthermore, US rats showed increased gene and protein expression of collagen I (2.0 ± 0.2, 2.2 ± 0.2, all were normalized against GAPDH, including the following), collagen III (2.5 ± 0.3, 1.2 ± 0.1), and TGFβ1R (2.8 ± 0.3, 1.9 ± 0.2), while SVF cells administration contributed to decreased gene and protein expression of collagen I (1.6 ± 0.2, 1.6 ± 0.2), collagen III (1.8 ± 0.4, 0.9 ± 0.1), and TGFβ1R (1.8 ± 0.3, 1.3 ± 0.2), in parallel with the improvement of vascularization and increased expression of VEGF (1.7 ± 0.1) and bFGF (3.1 ± 0.3). Additionally, SVF served anti-inflammatory effect through regulation of inflammatory cytokines and cells, accompanied with conversion of the macrophage phenotype. Our findings suggested that uncultured SVF presented an inhibitory effect on stricture formation at an early stage of urethral fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuhua Zhou
- Department of Urology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tianli Yang
- Department of Urology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Feng Zhao
- Department of Urology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kaiwei Song
- Department of Urology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Luwei Xu
- Department of Urology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhongle Xu
- Department of Urology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Changcheng Zhou
- Department of Urology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiqiang Qin
- Department of Urology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zheng Xu
- Department of Urology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ran Wu
- Department of Urology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Si Pai Lou 2, Nanjing, 210096, China.
| | - Ruipeng Jia
- Department of Urology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No. 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, China.
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Yang JH, Choi HP, Niu W, Azadzoi KM. Cellular Stress and Molecular Responses in Bladder Ischemia. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111862. [PMID: 34769293 PMCID: PMC8584445 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of bladder ischemia as a contributing factor to detrusor overactivity and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is evolving. Bladder ischemia as a consequence of pelvic arterial atherosclerosis was first documented in experimental models and later in elderly patients with LUTS. It was shown that early-stage moderate ischemia produces detrusor overactivity, while prolonged severe ischemia provokes changes consistent with detrusor underactivity. Recent studies imply a central role of cellular energy sensors, cellular stress sensors, and stress response molecules in bladder responses to ischemia. The cellular energy sensor adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase was shown to play a role in detrusor overactivity and neurodegeneration in bladder ischemia. The cellular stress sensors apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 and caspase-3 along with heat shock proteins were characterized as important contributing factors to smooth muscle structural modifications and apoptotic responses in bladder ischemia. Downstream pathways seem to involve hypoxia-inducible factor, transforming growth factor beta, vascular endothelial growth factor, and nerve growth factor. Molecular responses to bladder ischemia were associated with differential protein expression, the accumulation of non-coded amino acids, and post-translational modifications of contractile proteins and stress response molecules. Further insight into cellular stress responses in bladder ischemia may provide novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets against LUTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Hua Yang
- Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
- Proteomics Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA;
| | - Han-Pil Choi
- Proteomics Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA;
| | - Wanting Niu
- Research Section, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA;
| | - Kazem M. Azadzoi
- Departments of Urology and Pathology, VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02130, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(857)-364-5602
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Shi Z, Wang Q, Jiang D. The preventative effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell exosomes on urethral stricture in rats. Transl Androl Urol 2020; 9:2071-2081. [PMID: 33209670 PMCID: PMC7658129 DOI: 10.21037/tau-20-833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Urethral stricture (US) is a major challenge in urology and there is an urgent need for effective therapies for its treatment. Exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs-Exos) have been shown to be effective in preventing scar and fibrosis formation after tissue injury. However, the potential utility of BMSCs-Exos in the prevention of US remains unknown. We hypothesized that local administration of BMSCs-Exos may influence urethral healing and scar formation in a rat model of US. Methods A previously established model of rat US was used in this study. Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned into sham, US, and US + BMSCs-Exos groups. Micro-ultrasound assessment, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and gene expression analysis were performed at four weeks post-surgery. Results US rats exhibited thick urethral walls with a narrowed lumen, when compared with sham rats. However, these changes were suppressed in the US + BMSCs-Exos group. The preventative effects of BMSCs-Exos on US formation were also apparent histologically. US + BMSCs-Exos rats demonstrated decreased expression of several fibrosis-related genes in urethral tissues, including Col I, fibronectin, and elastin, when compared with US rats. BMSCs-Exos treatment also led to an increase in the expression of angiogenesis-related genes in these tissues, including VEGF, eNOS, and bFGF. Conclusions Our findings therefore demonstrate that the local administration of BMSCs-Exos prevents urethral stricture formation by regulating fibrosis and angiogenesis. These findings provide a basis for an innovative strategy involving the clinical application of exosomes to counteract US formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengzhou Shi
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dapeng Jiang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Alexandre EC, Cao N, Mizoguchi S, Saito T, Kurobe M, Gotoh D, Okorie M, Igarashi T, Antunes E, Yoshimura N. Urethral dysfunction in a rat model of chemically induced prostatic inflammation: potential involvement of the MRP5 pump. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2020; 318:F754-F762. [PMID: 32036697 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00566.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate inflammation (PI) is a clinical condition associated with infection and/or inflammation of the prostate. It is a common disease frequently associated to lower urinary tract (LUT) symptoms. The urethra is an understudied structure in the LUT and plays a fundamental role in the urinary cycle. Here, we proposed to evaluate the effect of PI on the urethra tissue. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used, and PI was induced by formalin injection into the ventral lobes of the prostate. The pelvic urethra at the prostatic level was harvested for histological analysis, contraction (electrical field stimulation and phenylephrine), and relaxation (sodium nitroprusside/MK-571) experiments. Various gene targets [cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2, transforming growth factor-β1, interleukin-1β, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, α1A-adrenoceptor, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1, voltage-gated Ca2+ channel subunit-α1D, neuronal nitric oxide synthase, soluble guanylyl cyclase, phosphodiesterase 5A, protein kinase CGMP-dependent 1, and multidrug resistance-associated protein 5 (MRP5; ATP-binding cassette subfamily C member 5)] were quantified, and cGMP levels were measured. No histological changes were detected, and functional assays revealed decreased contraction and increased relaxation of urethras from the PI group. The addition of MK-571 to functional assays increased urethral relaxation. Genes associated with inflammation were upregulated in urethras from the PI group, such as cytochrome oxidase c subunit 2, transforming growth factor-β1, interleukin-1β, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. We also found increased expression of L-type Ca2+ channels and the neuronal nitric oxide synthase enzyme and decreased expression of the MRP5 pump. Finally, cGMP production was enhanced in urethral tissue of PI animals. The results indicate that PI is associated with proinflammatory gene expression in the urethra without histologically evident inflammation and that PI produces a dysfunctional urethra and MRP5 pump downregulation, which results in cGMP accumulation inside the cell. These findings would help to better understand LUT dysfunctions associated with PI and the role of MRP pumps in the control of LUT function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo C Alexandre
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nailong Cao
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Shinsuke Mizoguchi
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Tetsuichi Saito
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Masahiro Kurobe
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Daisuke Gotoh
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Meri Okorie
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Taro Igarashi
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Edson Antunes
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Naoki Yoshimura
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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