The Role of Intra-abdominal Pressure Measurement in Awake Rat Cystometry

Rat cystometry is increasingly being used in research on overactive bladder and is a research tool for investigating bladder functions during the storage and voiding phases. Measurement of the pressure in the bladder is an essential part of cystometry, although that pressure is the sum of both detrusor and intra-abdominal pressures. In anesthetic cystometry, measurement of the intra-abdominal pressure is not necessary, because the values of this variable are negligible. In awake cystometry, however, it is mandatory to separate the changes in intra-abdominal pressure from those in intravesical pressure, because consciousness causes much variability in intra-abdominal pressure. This review describes why we use the term "detrusor overactivity" in animal research with intra-abdominal pressure and presents evidence for the role of intra-abdominal pressure in the cystometry of normal rats and in animal models of overactive bladder directed at understanding the pathogenesis of the overactive bladder condition. The methodology is also briefly reviewed.