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Do vesical and voided urine have identical compositions?
Ahmed Shafik1, Olfat El Sibai, Ali A Shafik
1Department of Surgery and Experimental Research, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. shafik@ahmed-shafik.org
Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology
|June 19, 2004
Summary
Urine composition changes as it travels through the urethra. This study shows voided urine differs from bladder urine, indicating the urethral urothelium is a functioning epithelium.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Physiology
- Epithelial Biology
Background:
- The urothelium lines the urinary tract and is increasingly recognized as a functional tissue.
- Understanding urine modification within the urinary tract is crucial for accurate physiological assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that urine composition is altered during passage through the urethra.
- To investigate the functional capacity of the urethral urothelium in modifying urine.
Main Methods:
- 22 healthy volunteers (13 males, 9 females) participated.
- Urine samples were collected separately from the bladder (vesical) and during voiding.
- pH, osmolality, and electrolyte (Na, K) concentrations were measured.
Main Results:
- Voided urine exhibited significantly higher pH, osmolality, and Na/K concentrations compared to vesical urine (p < 0.05).
- No significant differences were observed based on gender or age.
- These compositional changes highlight urethral activity.
Conclusions:
- Urine undergoes significant compositional changes as it transits the urethra.
- The urethral urothelium functions to modify urine, meaning voided and vesical urine are not identical.
- The representativeness of voided urine analysis for vesical urine requires further consideration.