Pelvic venous congestion induces lower urinary tract dysfunction in rats.

Pelvic venous congestion (PC) is thought to be related to several diseases of the lower urinary tract (LUT). We examined the characteristics of the LUT in rats with PC. To create PC, female rats were anesthetized with isoflurane, and the bilateral common iliac veins and bilateral uterine veins were ligated. At 1-8 weeks after either ligation or sham surgery, we performed cystometry with or without administration of carbazochrome sodium sulfonate hydrate or propiverine hydrochloride, histologic examination of the bladder, blood flow imaging, assessment of locomotor activity, measurement of urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and nitric oxide metabolites (NOx), and the Evans blue dye extravasation test. PC elevated frequency of urination after 2-6 weeks, and caused a decrease of spontaneous locomotor activity. In addition, there was a decrease of bladder blood flow, an increase of bladder vascular permeability, an increase of urinary 8-OHdG, a decrease of urinary NOx, and mild inflammatory changes of the bladder. In rats with PC, frequency of urination was normalized by administration of propiverine or carbazochrome. Rats with PC may be used as a model of PC associated with high frequency of urination, and this model may be useful when developing treatment for LUT symptoms associated with PC.