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Characterization of normal rat bladder regeneration in an in vivo model
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.581.2
Subject(s) - in vivo , regeneration (biology) , cystectomy , medicine , tissue engineering , urination , pathology , contractility , urinary bladder , urology , immunohistochemistry , biomedical engineering , anatomy , bladder cancer , biology , urinary system , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer
Interest in bladder tissue engineering for clinical applications has risen over the past 15 years, culminating in a report of the first tissue‐engineered neo‐bladder successfully implanted in patients. Despite such advances, there is still little known about de novo bladder regeneration in vivo. In order to increase the potential clinical applications of tissue engineering/regenerative medicine we studied bladder regeneration in female F344 rats following subtotal cystectomy (STC; removal of 70% of bladder). Regeneration was evaluated using a combination of high resolution imaging modalities and direct measures of bladder function in vivo. Tissue function and histology were also studied in vitro, on both STC and age‐matched control rats. Micro CT scans in STC rats showed a progressive increase in bladder size that correlated with direct in vivo urodynamic measures. Despite their similar size, lower micturition pressures were observed in regenerating bladders in vivo, and STC rats were further characterized by diminished contractility of isolated detrusor tissue strips in vitro. Immunohistochemistry revealed abundant c‐kit staining in the detrusor of STC rats suggesting a role for stem cells in muscle regeneration. This study indicates the potential clinical relevance of this model, as well as the utility of high resolution imaging modalities, to improve understanding of tissue regeneration in vivo.