title: Rat Bladders Augmented with a Novel Bovine Pericardium-Derived Biomaterial Reconstruct Functional Tissue Structures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if rat bladders augmented with an acellular Japanese bovine pericardium-derived biomaterial (CardioDISC [CD]) could support bladder reconstruction, and increase bladder volume and compliance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 5 each). After partial cystectomy, bladders were closed without augmentation (non-augmentation) or augmented with porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) or CD, both of which are acellular. At 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks after surgery, bladder volume and compliance were measured. The bladders were then analyzed by immunohistochemistry for smooth muscle actin (SMA), urothelium uroplakin III (UPIII), and nerve fiber S100.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 4 weeks after augmentation, the SMA-positive cells from the host bladder tissues were present near the regions augmented with CD. In addition, S100-positive cells were present within the CD-augmented tissues. At 8 weeks after surgery, the CD-augmented tissues contained layered SMA-positive cells, urothelium uroplakin III -positive urothelium, and S100 fibers, similar to normal bladder tissue. The SIS-augmented bladders showed similar results. At 8 weeks after augmentation, the bladder volume of CD-augmented bladders was larger than that at 4 weeks, while the SIS-augmented bladders were the same as those at 4 weeks. The bladder volume of the non-augmented group did not increase. The bladder compliance of the CD-augmented bladders at 8 weeks was significantly higher than at earlier times. The bladder compliance of neither the non-augmented nor the SIS-augmented groups increased during the study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acellular bovine pericardium-derived material could be a suitable biomaterial for bladder augmentations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinebuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ishizuka
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
keywords: biomaterial; bladder augmentation; bladder reconstruction; bovine pericardium; partial cystectomy