Chronic sacral nerve stimulation prevents detrusor structural and functional changes associated with bladder outlet...

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Nephrology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) leads to detrimental structural and functional changes in the detrusor muscle.
• These changes manifest as bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms.
• Investigating preventative strategies for BOO-induced bladder dysfunction is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) in preventing structural and functional detrusor alterations in a rat model of BOO.
• To assess the impact of SNS on urodynamic parameters and bladder tissue histology in the context of BOO.

Main Methods:

• A rat model of partial bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) was established.
• Sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) was applied to the S1-S4 dorsal roots for 8 hours daily over 6 weeks.
• Urodynamic studies were conducted, and bladders were harvested for histological analysis of detrusor hypertrophy and fibrosis.

Main Results:

• BOO significantly increased voiding pressure and bladder capacity while decreasing the volume at first non-voiding contraction.
• SNS treatment in BOO rats did not significantly alter voiding pressure or bladder capacity but eliminated non-voiding contractions.
• Histological analysis revealed significantly reduced detrusor hypertrophy and fibrosis in the BOO/SNS group compared to the BOO group.

Conclusions:

• Partial bladder outlet obstruction induces significant functional and structural changes in the rat bladder.
• Sacral nerve stimulation effectively prevents these BOO-induced alterations.
• SNS demonstrates a protective effect on the bladder in BOO, without compromising detrusor contractility.