ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to show the effects of aspirin and arginine on hyperactive bladder of hypercholesterol diet rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used 40, 3-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats. Ten of them received the 2% cholesterol diet for 8 weeks and 10 received cholesterol diet and aspirin treatment and 10 received cholesterol diet, aspirin and arginine treatment. The remaining 10 served as control and were fed a normal diet. Cystometry and bladder muscle strips study were evaluated in each group. RESULTS: Compared with normal control, mean serum cholesterol and body weight significantly elevated in the cholesterol group. Aspirin +/- arginine treatment lessened the increase of body weight and serum cholesterol level. Compared to control, the cholesterol group showed a shorter voiding interval and smaller functional bladder capacity in cystometrogram, however, aspirin +/- arginine treatment group showed no difference in voiding interval and functional bladder capacity. In detrusor muscle strip study, the increase in the proportion of purinergic components and the decrease in the proportion of cholinergic components were observed in the cholesterol group, however, not in aspirin +/- arginine treatment group. Overall, additional effect of arginine on aspirin treatment was negligible. CONCLUSION: Treatments of aspirin +/- arginine showed significant protective effect on the bladder overactivity induced by hypercholesterol diet in rats. In patients with heart diseases and overactive bladder, aspirin could be a useful treatment for protection and treatment.