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Urinary bladder hyperreflexia: A rat animal model
Author(s) -
Shaker Hassan,
Mourad Mohammed Sherif,
Elbialy Mohammed Hatem,
Elhilali Mostafa
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
neurourology and urodynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1520-6777
pISSN - 0733-2467
DOI - 10.1002/nau.10147
Subject(s) - hyperreflexia , medicine , animal model , spinal cord injury , spinal cord , urinary system , surgery , anesthesia , anatomy , psychiatry
In this work, we are presenting a rat animal model for bladder hyperreflexia after suprasacral spinal cord transection. Our aim was to standardize an animal model that can be useful in studying this condition. After standardizing the animal model in a pilot study, 26 female Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to spinal cord transection at the level of T10 vertebra. Four animals were subjected to cystometrogram (CMG) 24 hr after spinalization and six rats 3 weeks post‐spinalization. These CMGs were compared to that of six normal controls. The detailed description of the model presented in this manuscript, is the final result after several modifications. All the animals consistently developed hyperreflexia after an initial period of spinal shock phase. Expressed volume of urine continued to decrease until it reached a plateau after peaking at 1‐week post‐spinalization. The attrition rate reached 27.3% after several improvements in the animal model and was mostly from self‐inflicted injuries. Post‐operative complications included hypothermia, decubitus ulcers, hematuria, urinary tract infection in addition to the unexplained death of two animals. In conclusion, we believe that this animal model closely resembles the clinical condition of hyperreflexia and follows similar course. The relative low cost of this animal model and the easy maintenance makes it a valuable tool to study such a condition. Neurourol. Urodynam. 22:693–698, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.