Impact of pregnancy and childbirth on female rats' urethral nerve fibers.

This study aims to evaluate the urethral nerve fibers of adult female rats during pregnancy and after vaginal birth, cesarean section or simulated birth trauma. For immunohistochemical analysis of nerve fibers, 70 female rats were distributed in seven groups of ten female rats: group 1, control; group 2, pregnant; group 3, cesarean section; group 4, vaginal birth; group 5, virgin female rats with simulated birth trauma; group 6, cesarean section followed by simulation of birth trauma; and group 7, vaginal birth followed by simulation of birth trauma. The number of nerve fibers in groups 1, 2, and 3 were significantly higher than the other groups. Pregnancy and cesarean section did not cause alterations in the nerve fibers number. Vaginal birth and simulated birth trauma significantly decreased the number of nerve fibers in the female rats' middle urethra.