In vitro rat bladder function after neonatal estrogenization.
OBJECTIVE
Experiments were done to evaluate the functional effects of neonatal diethylstilbestrol (DES) treatment on bladder function in male and female Noble rats.


METHODS
At 5 months after neonatal DES bladders were removed and weighed. Ventral and dorsal bladder strips were prepared to evaluate the effects of neonatal DES on contractile responses to electrical field stimulation, carbachol, adenosine triphosphate, phenylephrine and KCl. Relaxant responses to the catecholamines arterenol (norepinephrine), epinephrine and isoproterenol were also monitored.


RESULTS
Neonatal DES resulted in significant increases in bladder mass in males and females. Contractile and relaxant responses were largely unchanged by neonatal DES treatment and the only change observed was a decreased response of ventral strips from male neonatal DES rats to 4 and 8 Hz. stimulation. Ventral strips from male control and neonatal DES rats responded to field stimulation and carbachol with significantly greater responses than dorsal strips and were more sensitive to the relaxant actions of norepinephrine and epinephrine.


CONCLUSIONS
The data confirm that neonatal DES causes infravesical obstruction. However, in contrast to published reports of the effects of surgically induced mild outlet obstruction, neonatal DES treatment has little effect on in vitro bladder strip contractile or relaxant function. Thus, the neonatal DES treated rat does not seem to be a useful model in which to study the in vitro effects of partial outlet obstruction on the bladder.
Longhurst
Penelope A
PA
Department of Basic and Pharmaceutic Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Division of Urology, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA.
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000322:Adrenergic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002217:Carbachol / Q000494:pharmacology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D018679:Cholinergic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D000322:Adrenergic Agonists; D002395:Catecholamines; D018679:Cholinergic Agonists; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D002217:Carbachol