Effect of aging on the response of biochemical markers in the rabbit subjected to short-term partial bladder obstruction.
OBJECTIVE
Partial bladder outlet obstruction (PBOO) results in marked biochemical alterations in the bladder. In this study, we focused on comparison of thapsigargin sensitive sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase activity (SERCA) and Citrate Synthase after short term PBOO in young versus old rabbits.


METHODS
A total of 20 young and 20 mature male rabbits were divided into 4 sub-groups of 5 rabbits each (4 obstructed and 1 sham-control rabbit). The rabbits in the groups were evaluated after 1, 3, 7, and 14 days of obstruction, respectively. The activities of SERCA and citrate synthase were examined as markers for sarcoplasmic reticular calcium storage and release and mitochondrial function, respectively.


RESULTS
The SERCA activity of bladder body smooth muscle in the young animals increased at 7 and 14 days. For the old rabbits, the SERCA activity decreased significantly by 1 day and remained this level throughout the course of obstruction, and was significantly lower than young at all time periods. The citrate synthase activity in the young animals decreased over the 1-7 days, and then returned toward control level by 14 days following obstruction. In the old animals, citrate synthase activity of bladder body smooth muscle progressively decreased over the course of the study, and was significantly lower in the old than the young animals after 14 days obstructed.


CONCLUSIONS
The urinary bladders of the young rabbits have a considerable greater ability to adapt to PBOO than do those of the old rabbits. The deterioration of mitochondrial and SR function may be important mechanisms underlying geriatric voiding dysfunction.
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey.
Ahmet
A
Guven
Wei-Yu
WY
Lin
Robert E
RE
Leggett
Barry A
BA
Kogan
Robert M
RM
Levin
Anita
A
Mannikarottu
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D053498:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000378:metabolism; D019284:Thapsigargin / Q000494:pharmacology; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000378:metabolism; D001748:Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction / Q000378:metabolism*
D015415:Biomarkers; D019284:Thapsigargin; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase; D053498:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases