ESPU Congress 2017 - Abstract book

19–22 APRIL, 2017, BARCELONA, SPAIN

16:20–16:23

S2-9 (PP)

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTRACTILE PROPERTIES

IN THE FOETAL PORCINE URINARY BLADDER

Lotte Kaasgaard JAKOBSEN

, Karina TRELBORG

, Ulf SIMONSEN

Karl‑Erik ANDERSSON

and L. Henning OLSEN

1) Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus N, DENMARK - 2) Aarhus University Hospital, Department

of Urology, Aarhus N, DENMARK - 3) Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus C, DENMARK - 4) Aarhus

University Hospital, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Aarhus N, DENMARK

INTRODUCTION

In early foetal life the bladder is a conduit, allowing urine to pass from the upper urinary tract into the

amniotic cavity. During gestation it obtains a reservoir function. Little is known about the timing and

pathways involved in this development. We aimed to characterize the functional development of the

normal foetal porcine bladder from midterm until close to full term.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Contractile responses were measured in bladder strips from foetuses at 60 (N=23) and 100 days

(N=21) of gestation (full term is 114 days). Force-tension curves, spontaneous activity, and re-

sponses to KCl, electrical field stimulation (EFS), carbachol and alpha-beta-methylene-ATP (ABMA)

were evaluated.

RESULTS

Optimal basal tension was 6mN (60 days) and 8mN (100 days). The spontaneous activity pat-

tern changed from homogenous contractions at 60 days towards an irregular pattern at 100 days.

Contractile force elicited by KCl and carbachol increased significantly with increasing gestational

age, whereas the response to ABMA did not. EFS showed almost no atropine resistant responses

in either group.

CONCLUSIONS

Dysfunction of the urinary tract can occur already during foetal life and can warrant early intervention.

This emphasizes the need for understanding normal bladder development. We demonstrate that

the quantitative contractility of the bladder increases during gestation. Spontaneous contractions

are less coordinated later in gestation, and responses to carbachol are greater, as the bladder gains

its reservoir function. Purinergic pathways seem to be fully developed already halfway through

gestation, as judged by the contractile responses to ABMA. However, ATP seems to contribute little

to the neurogenic mediated contractions as atropine almost abolished these responses. Disruption

of these functional pathways may lead to dysfunctional voiding later in life.