Bladder dysfunction in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Urology
• Immunology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently causes significant bladder control problems, including urinary urgency, incontinence, frequency, and retention.
• A common issue in MS patients is detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia, affecting over 60%, which obstructs urine flow due to discoordinated bladder and sphincter muscle activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate bladder function in female SWXJ mice with varying neurological impairment after experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induction.
• To establish a preclinical model for studying neurogenic bladder dysfunction relevant to multiple sclerosis.

Main Methods:

• Induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in female SWXJ mice to model central nervous system inflammation.
• Assessment of bladder function, including micturition frequency and urine output per micturition, in EAE mice with defined neurological impairment levels.

Main Results:

• EAE mice exhibited profound bladder dysfunction, characterized by significantly increased micturition frequency and decreased urine output per micturition.
• The severity of observed bladder abnormalities directly correlated with the clinical severity of EAE and overall neurologic disability.

Conclusions:

• This study is the first to demonstrate and characterize micturition abnormalities in EAE mice.
• The EAE mouse model provides a valuable system for understanding the mechanisms underlying and developing treatments for neurogenic bladder in MS.