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Stimulation of the Pelvic Nerve Increases Bladder Capacity in the Prostaglandin E2 Rat Model of Overactive Bladder

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Renal Physiology

Published online on

Abstract

Overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome is a highly prevalent condition that may lead to medical complications and decreased quality of life. Emerging therapies focusing on selective electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves associated with lower urinary tract (LUT) function may provide improved efficacy and reduced side effects compared to sacral neuromodulation for the treatment of OAB symptoms. Prior studies investigating the effects of pelvic nerve (PelN) stimulation on LUT function were focused on promoting bladder contractions, and it is unclear if selective stimulation of the PelN would be beneficial for the treatment of OAB. Therefore, our motivation was to test the hypothesis that PelN stimulation would increase bladder capacity in the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) rat model of OAB. The effects of intravesical PGE2 vs. vehicle and PelN stimulation after intravesical PGE2 on cystometric parameters were quantified in 17 urethane-anesthetized female Sprague-Dawley rats. Intravesical infusion of PGE2 resulted in decreased bladder capacity and increased voiding efficiency without a change in bladder contraction area under the curve, maximum contraction pressure, or contraction duration. Bladder capacity was also significantly decreased compared to vehicle confirming that the change in bladder capacity was mediated by PGE2. PelN stimulation reversed the PGE2-induced change in bladder capacity and increased the EUS EMG activity at a specific stimulation condition (1.0T amplitude at 10 Hz). These results confirm that the urodynamic changes reported in conscious rats are also observed under urethane anesthesia and that PelN stimulation is a novel and promising approach for the treatment of the symptoms of OAB.