Objective: To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSC) transplantation in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in rats.
Methods: The 14 female SD rats of SUI model were established by vaginal balloon dilation after birth and maintain this status for four hours bilateral ovariectomy were performed after two weeks and were routinely reared for two months, then 12 SUI rat model were made. Two months later, transfected with plasmid pEGFP-N1 of HUCMSC were injected into the region surrounding the urinary tract matched with saline injection as control group. To get genitourinary tissue after testing urodynamic indicators, and observe the pathological changes of the bladder, urethra and the surrounding tissue; fluorescent cell of the experimental groups specimens were observed by fluorescence microscope.
Results: The leak point pressure(LPP) was (23.8 ± 4.2) mm Hg(1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) of the SUI rats. Transplanting mesenchymal stem cells of SUI rats, the positive rate of sneeze test was 1/6 in SUI group and 5/6 in control group, which reached statistical significance (P < 0.05); LPP was (30.6 ± 2.8) mm Hg in SUI group and (21.4 ± 7.0) mm Hg in control group, which reached statistical significance (P < 0.05) .In SUI rate model, connective tissue content were increased in urethra and the surrounding tissue and more fluorescent cell were observed.
Conclusions: A rat model of female SUI was established successfully through postpartum vaginal balloon dilation and bilateral ovariectomy. MSC can be survived and proliferated in the urethral and the surrounding tissue of injured rats, and improve the urodynamic indicators and the positive rate of sneeze test. Morphology shows renovation of the support structures around the urethra.