The effect of testosterone treatment on urodynamic findings and histopathomorphology of pelvic floor muscles in female rats with experimentally induced stress urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: In recent studies, it has been observed that androgen receptors are densely located in pelvic floor muscles. We aimed to investigate the effect of testosterone on urodynamic findings and histopathomorphology of pelvic floor muscles in rats with experimentally induced stress urinary incontinence.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight adult female rats were randomized into four groups. Group I: rats in which SUI was induced and single-dose testosterone was administered 30 days later, group II: rats in which SUI was induced and single-dose testosterone was administered within the same session, group III: rats in which SUI was induced and saline was injected intramuscularly 30 days later, and group IV: the sham group. In order to demonstrate objectively the curative and preventive role of testosterone in experimental model of SUI, urodynamic examination and histopathomorphological evaluation of levator ani muscle were performed.
RESULTS: Myofiber areas in groups I and II were detected to be significantly larger than those of the control group (P < 0.001). Another parameter was leak point pressure value by urodynamy. Regarding this parameter, LPP values in groups 1, 2 and 4 were observed to be significantly higher than those of group 3 (P < 0.001). The results of the comparison among groups 1, 2 and 4 revealed no significance (P > 0.05), which indicates that testosterone provides continence in a similar way to the group in which sciatic nerve section was not performed.
CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, it has been demonstrated that testosterone has both preventive and curative effects on rat models of experimental SUI.