Effects of prepubertal corticosterone treatment on urinary bladder

Effects of chronic restraint stress in the prostate of prepubertal and adult rats

PURPOSE

To investigate the effects of chronic stress in the prostate of prepubertal and adult rats.

METHODS

Thirty-two male rats were assigned into four groups depending on the type of treatment (control or stressed) and the age at which stress was initiated (prepubertal or adult). Restraint stress stimuli were applied for six weeks. Stressed prepubertal and adult rats evaluated immediately after the last stress stimuli were named SP and SA groups, respectively. Age-matched rats were used as control groups (CP and CA). At the end of the experiment, the rats were euthanized, and prostate morphological parameters were evaluated and statistically compared.

RESULTS

Application of stress stimuli to the SP group resulted in reduced body weight, but no prostate morphological modification was noted. The SA group showed reduced testosterone level and prostatic epithelium surface density, in comparison to CA group. Further, the prostatic lumen surface density was increased in adult stressed animals, in comparison to adult controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The stress stimuli promoted changes in hormonal and morphological parameters in the prostate of adult stressed rats. Prepubertal stressed animals did not presented modifications of prostate morphology.

Effects of chronic stress on bladder morphology of rats and impact of comfort food diet as an ameliorating agent

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effects of chronic stress on bladder morphology and the impact of food preference (standard or comfort foods) on the bladder of stressed rats.

METHODS

In total, 32 Wistar male rats (3 months old) were divided into four groups: control (C), stressed (S), control + comfort food (C + CF), and stressed + comfort food (S + CF). Groups C and C + CF were maintained under normal conditions, while groups S and S + CF were subjected to chronic stress by the restraint method. Groups C and S received standard rat chow, while groups C + CF and S + CF received comfort food (Froot Loops®) and standard chow. The stress stimuli were induced daily for 2 h over 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, all animals were killed, and the bladders were removed and used for histomorphometric analysis.

RESULTS

Body mass was similar among the groups. Stress did not promote differences regarding food intake, but animals receiving comfort food showed higher calories intake (in kcal/Kg) than animals receiving only standard chow. The C + CF and S + CF groups preferred comfort food over the standard chow; this preference was higher in the S + CF than in the C + CF group. The surface density of smooth muscle was reduced in stressed animals, while connective tissue and elastic system fiber content were increased in stressed groups. Further, epithelial height was increased in rats submitted to chronic stress. The surface density of elastic system fibers was decreased by the consumption of comfort food.

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic stress induces morphological modifications on the bladder wall and epithelium. These modifications may be related to lower urinary tract symptoms. Additionally, chronic stress caused a higher preference for comfort food intake which did not ameliorate or aggravate the stress-induced bladder alterations.

Nontraumatic bladder rupture: The images before and after

We should consider the complication of bladder rupture for patients with worsened abdominal pain and inability to pass urine following acute cystitis. A CT scan is a useful first-line modality when evaluating for a suspected bladder rupture.

Deleterious effects of prepubertal corticosterone treatment on rat prostate

PURPOSE

To investigate the structural and functional changes induced by corticosterone (CORT) in the ventral prostrate (VP) of rats in order to study chronic stress effects in the prepubertal phase.

METHODS

Wistar rats received daily saline or CORT injections during the pubertal period from the 5th to 25th day of postnatal life. The animals were distributed into four groups: 1 - Control (n=5); 2 - Control 99mTc-P (n=5); 3 - Treated with CORT (n=14); 4 - Treated with CORT and 99mTc-P (n=10). All rats were sacrificed at two months of age. Technical tissue uptakes of 99mTc-P were used to evaluate the functional and stereological methods for morphological analysis.

RESULTS

Acini distribution in the group treated with CORT differed significantly (p<0.0001) from the control. The control group's epithelial average height (10.01±0.24 microns) was statistically significant (p<0.0001) from rats treated with CORT (19.27±0.73microns). The collagen distribution was lower in the treated group (2.79%) when compared to control (3.97%). The radioactivity percentage in the groups marked with 99mTc-P (%Ati/g) did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference (p=0.285897).

CONCLUSION

Chronic administration of corticosterone in prepubertal rats causes changes in their acinar structure and their ventral prostate stroma, indicating possible deleterious effects of this hormone.