title: Intravesical hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate alone and in combination for urinary tract infection: assessment of protective effects in a rat model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the protective effects of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate in treating urinary tract infections in a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 28 rats, which were induced with urinary tract infections through intravesical administration of Escherichia coli, were included in the study. By random selection, they were equally divided into four groups as control (no treatment), hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid + chondroitin sulfate. Bacteriological cultures of the urine and bladder tissue samples were carried out, and the data for each group were statistically compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the urine cultures, there were significant differences in median bacterial growth rates in hyaluronic acid (5 × 10(3) cfu/mL) and chondroitin sulfate (1 × 10(4) cfu/mL) groups relative to the control group (5 × 10(4) cfu/mL). However, a significantly lower rate of bacterial colony growth was observed in the hyaluronic acid + chondroitin sulfate group (8 × 10(2) cfu/mL; P < 0.05). In the bladder tissues, statistically significant decreases in median bacterial growth rates were detected in the hyaluronic acid and hyaluronic acid + chondroitin sulfate groups (both 0 cfu/mg tissue; P < 0.05). Also, transitional epithelium damage decreased in the treatment groups. However, this effect was prominent in hyaluronic acid + chondroitin sulfate group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our experimental findings show that the hyaluronic acid + chondroitin sulfate combination has a potential benefit in reducing the bacterial load in urine and the thickness of the transitional epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey. sedamd23@gmail.com
authors.forename: Seda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tasdemir
authors.forename: Cemal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tasdemir
authors.forename: Nigar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vardi
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yakupogullari
authors.forename: Yucel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Duman
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Parlakpinar
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sagir
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Acet
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000283:Administration, Intravesical; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004926:Escherichia coli; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000652:urine; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology; D019459:Urothelium / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates