[Alteration of bladder function in response to surgical reduction in bladder capacity: conventional-fill cystometry...

To investigate alteration of bladder function in response to surgically reduced bladder capacity by using an awake rabbit model.

Forty rabbits were divided into two groups, one was experimental group in which the rabbits underwent semi-cystectomy to reduce 50% bladder capacity (n=20), another was control group in which the rabbits received sham operation (n=20). A conventional-fill cystometric investigation was performed as the animal under awake condition at the times of 4 weeks and 8 weeks after operation.

Compared with control subjects, the maximum cystometric capacity in experimental group was remarkably decreased at week 4 [(35.3 +/- 8.2) mL vs. (71.6 +/-12.9) mL, P < 0.05), and week 8 [(46.2 +/- 12.1) mL vs. (82.7 +/- 20.1) mL, P < 0.05] respectively; while the maximum voiding detrusor pressure was significantly enhanced at week 4 [(24.4 +/- 7.0) vs. (16.5 +/- 7.2) cm H2O, P < 0.05) and week 8[(27.7 +/- 8.0) vs. (16.8 +/- 7.5) cm H2O, P < 0.05) respectively.

Alteration of bladder function, which mainly presented as the increase of maximum voiding detrusor pressure, was elicited at four to eight weeks after surgical reduction of bladder capacity in rabbit.