The role of calpain-calpastatin system in the development of stress urinary incontinence.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to investigate the expression of calpain-1, calpain-2, and calpastatin in the human periurethral vaginal tissues and to show the potential link between calpain system and stress urinary incontinence (SUI).


METHODS
The periurethral vaginal tissues of 39 women with SUI and 31 women without SUI were collected to detect the expressions of calpains and calpastatin by using semi-quantitative competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences on the expressions of calpain-1 at the levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein in both groups (P > 0.05), but the patients with SUI had significantly higher levels of calpain-2 mRNA and protein than the control (P < 0.05); and the mRNA expressions of calpastatin in women with SUI were significantly higher than the control (P < 0.05), while the protein expressions were significantly lower when compared to the control (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Overexpression of calpain-2 and low expression of calpastatin may involve in the pathological development of SUI.
Wu
Yuzhong
Y
Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 2 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
Zhang
Li
L
Jin
Hangmei
H
Zhou
Jianhong
J
Xie
Zhenwei
Z
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D002154:Calpain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000378:metabolism
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C033668:calpastatin; D002154:Calpain; C569870:CAPN2 protein, human