title: Cell proliferation and apoptosis in urinary bladder urothelium of rats following ovariectomy and chronic estrogen replacement therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study we followed the effect of menopause and estrogenic replacement therapy on the proliferative and apoptotic activity of the bladder urothelial cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experimental model of menopause was reproduced using a standard protocol of bilateral ovariectomy in rats, estrogen replacement therapy being achieved by systemic administration of hexestrol diacetate for six weeks. Proliferative and apoptotic activity was monitored by quantifying the urothelium imunoexpression for PCNA antigen as a marker of S phase of the cell cycle and Cleaved Caspase 3 for monitoring apoptotic activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following ovariectomy, the main changes were urothelial atrophy associated with intensification of the apoptotic activity at these level. Estrogen therapy managed to improve the urothelium activity by reducing the Apoptotic Index and by increasing urothelial proliferative activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show the important role of estrogens in maintaining urothelial activities, highlighting their potential use in the treatment of urothelium atrophic and degenerative processes associated with menopause.
authors.affiliation: 1 Gynecology Clinic, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lucan
authors.affiliation: 1 Gynecology Clinic, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Florin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stamatian
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Urology and Renal Transplant, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Valerian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lucan
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Alexandru-Flaviu
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Tabaran
keywords: apoptosis; estrogen; proliferation; replacement therapy; urothelium