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Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology
Published on: August 18, 2014
[Phenotypic modulation of bladder smooth muscle in diabetic rats]
Yan-Bing Liang1, An-Yang Wei, Tao Wang
1Department of Urology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Objective:
To investigate whether phenotypic modulation of bladder smooth muscle occurs in diabetic rats.
Methods:
Thirty-two male SD rats were randomly assigned into diabetic group and control group. Diabetic rat models were established by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). Nine weeks later, the bladder tissues of the rats were examined for structural changes using HE and Masson's trichrome staining , and the expressions of myocardin, α-SMA, and SMMHC in bladder smooth muscles were detected with RT-PCR and Western blotting.
Results:
Compared with the control group, the diabetic rats showed obvious polydipsia and polyuria with significantly increased collagenous fibers and lowered expressions of myocardin, α-SMA, and SMMHC in the bladder tissue (P<0.05).
Conclusion:
s In rats at 9 weeks after diabetic model establishment, phenotypic transition of the bladder smooth muscles occurs to cause bladder contractile dysfunction, which may play an important role in the pathology of diabetic bladder dysfunction.

