Login to Access Video or Poster Abstract: MP40-09
Sources of Funding: none

Introduction

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a serious problem amongst many women especially after giving child birth. In order to find a better treatment we established a large animal model displaying features of this disease. After evaluation of these animals the long-term goal will be to include this model in different preclinical projects to explore improved or novel methods for SUI diagnosis and therapy.

Methods

In this study, 9 female German landrace pigs (approx. 20 kg) were included. To induce incontinence group 1 (3 pigs) underwent dilatation of the bladder sphincter for 5 minutes using an 18 Chr balloon catheter filled with 20 ml liquid. Group 2 was treaded with an electro cautery by applying four distinct spots 1 cm from the bladder neck (10 sec, 16 Watt). Group 3 received a combination of dilatation and distal cauterisation (approx. 5 cm from the bladder neck). After 3 weeks standard (s-UPP) and high-definition urethral pressure profilometry (HD-UPP) were performed, the animals were sacrificed and the bladder tissue was harvested for cryo sectioning. AZAN and antibody stainings with reagents to desmin and fast myosin were performed to compare urethra from treated animals with control tissue.

Results

Immediately after treatment animals of all three groups showed a lower s-UPP or HD-UPP compared to the profiles obtained bevor surgical intervention. Only the urethral wall pressure of animals that received dilatation and cauterisation remained reduced after 3 weeks of observation. Animals from group 1 and 2 regenerated just fine and the UPP was even higher than before surgical intervention. _x000D_ AZAN staining and antibody stainings with desmin and fast myosin showed some morphological differences of the muscle tissue in animals of group 3 compared to group 1, 2 and the control. Additionally, signs of electro cautery were clearly visible in group 3._x000D_

Conclusions

The study demonstrated that only dilatation combined with distal cauterisation of the urethra led to incontinent animals, whereas dilatation or proximal cauterisation alone showed no differences in the UPP after 3 weeks of observation. This animal model may represent a good source for further experiments to investigate improved methods for diagnosis or novel therapies for a damaged sphincter muscle.

Funding

none