Published in:
01-07-2003 | Original Article
Effects of ovariectomy and hormone replacement on collagen and blood vessels of the urethral submucosa of rats
Authors:
Diaa E. E. Rizk, Eric P. Mensah-Brown, Swaminathan I. Chandranath, Ijaz Ahmed, Mohamed Shafiullah, Mahendra Patel, Mahmoud Al-Haj, Abdu Adem
Published in:
Urolithiasis
|
Issue 3/2003
Login to get access
Abstract
Collagen and blood vessels of the urethral submucosa of ovariectomized rats were studied following 28 daily subcutaneous injections of 17-ß estradiol (n=6, group 1), medroxy-progesterone acetate (n=6, group 2), both drugs (n=6, group 3) or vehicle (n=6, control) and after sham surgery without castration or injection (n=6). Investigations included the immunohistochemistry of estrogen and progesterone receptors and collagen fibres, Western blot analysis of collagen types I and III and counting periurethral vessels by light microscopy. Our results showed positive immunostaining with estrogen, progesterone and collagen types I and III in all samples. Collagen type I and III levels were lower in the controls than in the sham group. The other groups showed increases (2>3>1) over the controls with a relatively higher increase in type III. The type I/III collagen ratio progressively decreased (control>1>2>3) below sham levels. The mean vessel count was significantly lower in control than in sham animals (P<0.00001). However, only estrogen treatment significantly increased the vessel number compared to controls (P=0.04). Our results indicate that estrogen and progesterone, alone or in combination, have an effect on collagen types I and III, and that estrogen has an effect on blood vessels of the urethral submucosa in female rats.