Circadian Rhythms Fluctuate the Treatment Effects of Intravesical Treatments on Rat Urinary Frequency Models

It is still not clear how the intravesical instillation of drugs affects rat urinary frequency. This study aimed to examine the dynamics of intravesical treatments' treatment effect on rat urinary frequency models by real-time and extended monitoring using a novel continuous urination monitoring system.

Nine eleven-week-old female Wistar rats were divided into three groups to receive intravesical instillation of 0.1% acetic acid (AA), 1.0% AA, or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Thirty minutes later, these drugs were voided, and rats were moved to a continuous urination monitoring system, UM-100. UM-100 monitored rat urination quantitatively and continuously for 24 hours. Rats were then euthanized, and histopathologic examinations using a damage score validated the severity of bladder inflammation. We used nine additional rats to determine the treatment effect of various drugs against the urinary frequency. These rats were also treated with 1.0% AA in the same way and divided into three groups (n = 3 each) to receive intravesical instillation of lidocaine, silver nitrate (AgNO₃), or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), respectively. Thirty minutes later, rats were catheterized again and moved to the UM-100, and their voiding was monitored for 24 hours.

Intravesical instillation of AA increased the urinary frequency and decreased the mean voided volume (VV) in a concentration-dependent manner, with statistical significance at a concentration of 1.0% (urinary frequency; p=0.0007, mean VV; p=0.0032, respectively) compared with PBS. Histopathological analysis of these models demonstrated a significantly higher damage score of bladder mucosa in both 0.1% AA and 1.0% AA compared with PBS, with the severity in concordance with the clinical severity of urinary frequency (0.1% AA: p < 0.0001, 1.0% AA: p < 0.0001). Moreover, intravesical instillation of lidocaine, AgNO₃, and DMSO decreased the urinary frequency. Continuous monitoring with UM-100 also demonstrated that the treatment effect of these intravesically instilled drugs occurred only at night.

The extended monitoring of rat urination by UM-100 revealed a significant fluctuation in the treatment effect of intravesically instilled drugs between day and night. These findings may help establish novel therapies for urinary frequency.