The Effect and Mechanism of Intravesical Electrical Stimulation in Spinal Cord Injured Rats / 대한비뇨기과학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the effect on afferent c-fiber activity is the underlying mechanism of intravesical electrical stimulation (IVES) in spinal cord injured rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty five female Sprague-Dawley rats weighting 200-300g each were divided into the normal and spinalized groups. For the spinalized rats, we observed the c-fos expression, and we compared this in the non-IVES group with that in the IVES group. Cystometrograms were performed for all the groups via a suprapubic catheter. RESULTS: After performing IVES in the normal and spinalized rats, the abnormal increases of the intercontraction interval (ICI) and the voiding pressure (VP) were reduced close to the normal range. In the spinalized rats, the number of c-fos positive cells in the dorsal commissure (DCM) decreased in the group that had IVES performed when compared with the non-IVES group. CONCLUSIONS: The IVES reduced the c-fos gene expression in the L6-S1 spinal cord segment and also the bladder hyperreflexia in the spinalized rats through the inhibition of afferent c-fiber activity, in addition to affecting the A delta mechanoreceptors.