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Published on: April 5, 2016
Structural Changes of the Urinary Bladder After Chronic Complete Spinal Cord Injury in Minipigs
Elena E Foditsch1,2, Karin Roider1,2, Irina Patras3
1Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
International Neurourology Journal
|April 1, 2017
Summary
Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes significant fibrotic changes in the urinary bladder wall, reducing its contractile and elastic properties. These structural alterations in bladder wall proteins highlight similarities between minipigs and humans following SCI.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to severe secondary complications affecting bladder function.
- Understanding the structural and molecular changes in the urinary bladder post-SCI is crucial for developing effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural modifications of the urinary bladder wall after chronic SCI in a minipig model.
- To analyze the quantitative distribution of key urinary bladder wall proteins, including collagen and elastin, post-SCI.
Main Methods:
- Seven female Göttingen minipigs underwent complete spinal cord transection, with a 4-month follow-up period.
- Urinary bladders were analyzed histologically for wall thickness, protein composition (collagen types I and III, elastin), and tissue distribution.
- Data were compared to age-matched healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Chronic SCI led to a significant increase in bladder wall thickness.
- A notable decrease in smooth muscle tissue and a significant increase in connective tissue were observed.
- Elastic fibers were reduced and structurally altered, with increased Type I collagen and decreased Type III collagen.
Conclusions:
- Chronic SCI induces fibrotic changes in the urinary bladder wall, characterized by altered protein composition.
- These changes result in reduced contractile and elastic properties of the bladder.
- The observed structural changes in minipigs closely resemble those seen in human bladders after SCI.
