Abstract
Background: Partial bladder outlet obstruction (pBOO), a common urological disease, often results in bladder tissue inflammation and remodeling. Human urine-derived stem cells (USCs) have demonstrated therapeutic benefits in various organ injury models. We used a rat model of pBOO to investigate the effect of USCs on bladder function and to explore the miRNA and gene expression profiles in bladder tissue using RNA sequencing.Methods: In total, 18 rats were randomly and evenly assigned to the following three groups: a sham surgery group, a pBOO without USC therapy group, and a pBOO with USC therapy group (subjected to treatment with USCs six times every other week). All rats were subjected to routine urodynamic monitoring. Detrusor muscle strips were analyzed and pathophysiology was assessed. Finally, altered miRNA and mRNA expression profiles of bladder tissue were examined using RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis technology.Results: After USC treatment, urodynamic monitoring revealed elevated bladder compliance and maximal voiding pressure, declined end filling pressure and voided volume, and improved detrusor muscle contractility and carbachol sensitivity in pBOO rats. Histology and TUNEL assay revealed reduced collagen deposition and muscle cell apoptosis in bladder tissue. The differential expression of eight miRNAs in pBOO rats was reversed by USC treatment. Bioinformatics analysis helped identify miR-142 and miR-9a as the two largest nodes of differentially expressed miRNAs in the miRNA‑gene interaction network in the USC-treated group. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed enrichment of multiple significant pathways, including those involved in necroptosis and cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions.Conclusions: This is the first study to reveal the protective effect of USCs on bladder function and bladder remodeling in pBOO rats. The miRNA and mRNA expression levels differed in the bladder of pBOO rats with and without USC treatment. Although the mechanism underlying these effects has not been fully elucidated, necroptosis and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction-related pathways may be involved.
Human Urine-derived Stem Cells Improve Partial Bladder Outlet Obstruction in Rats: Preliminary Data and microRNA-mRNA Expression Profile
