Assessment of Perigenital Sensitivity and Prostatic Mast Cell Activation in a Mouse Model of Neonatal Maternal Separation

Summary

We are measuring perigenital mechanical sensitivity and mast cell activation in the prostate of male C57BL/6 mice that underwent an early life stress paradigm – neonatal maternal separation, in order to induce a preclinical model of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Abstract

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) has a lifetime prevalence of 14% and is the most common urological diagnosis for men under the age of 50, yet it is the least understood and studied chronic pelvic pain disorder. A significant subset of patients with chronic pelvic pain report having experienced early life stress or abuse, which can markedly affect the functioning and regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Mast cell activation, which has been shown to be increased in both urine and expressed prostatic secretions of CP/CPPS patients, is partially regulated by downstream activation of the HPA axis. Neonatal maternal separation (NMS) has been used for over two decades to study the outcomes of early life stress in rodent models, including changes in the HPA axis and visceral sensitivity. Here we provide a detailed protocol for using NMS as a preclinical model of CP/CPPS in male C57BL/6 mice. We describe the methodology for performing NMS, assessing perigenital mechanical allodynia, and histological evidence of mast cell activation. We also provide evidence that early psychological stress can have long-lasting effects on the male urogenital system in mice.

Introduction

Chronic pelvic pain is not in itself a disease, but rather a term associated with the ongoing spontaneous and/or evoked pain experienced by patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS), vulvodynia, or chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). These syndromes are often comorbid and share many characteristics in that they have no associated pathology or identified underlying etiology, although dysfunction within the immune system, central nervous system, and peripheral nervous system has been shown to contribute towards the maintenance and progression of these disorders^1-3. P....

Protocol

All experiments described in this protocol conform to NIH guidelines in accordance with the guidelines specified by the University of Kansas Medical Center Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

1. Neonatal Maternal Separation (NMS)

1. Monitor pregnant dams daily for litter births.
   Note: The day the litter is born is considered P0.
2. On P1, remove the dam from the home cage and place into a clean secondary container.
3. Rub a handful of bedding between clean-gloved hands to maintain scent of the home cage.
4. Add a depth of 1 - 2 cm of the home cage bedding into a clean, appropriately labeled 2 L ....

Results

Mice that have undergone NMS showed behavioral evidence indicative of CP/CPPS. When tested with a graded series of von Frey monofilaments, 8 week-old NMS mice (n = 4) displayed perigenital mechanical allodynia when compared to naïve counterparts (n = 5, Figure 2). This is evidenced as a significant reduction (p < 0.01; Student’s t-test) in the mechanical withdrawal threshold that elicited a positive behavioral response, recorded as a brisk jerk or jump in response to monofilament application .......

Discussion

This protocol provides methodology for using neonatal stress, in the form of NMS, to induce symptomology indicative of CP/CPPS in adult male mice. As adults, the NMS mice display significant perigenital mechanical allodynia, as well as evidence of mast cell degranulation in prostate tissue. The use of NMS is a novel approach to developing a preclinical model of CP/CPPS in that it replicates the early life stress that is often reported by patients with chronic pelvic pain^12-14, as well as incorporating a non-in.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Pregnant C57BL/6 female mice	Charles River	027	Timed or untimed pregnant females should be monitored daily for in-house birth.
2 L glass beaker(s)	Sigma-Aldrich	CLS10002L	Each NMS litter will be held in the same beaker throughout the 21 day separation period.
VWR Forced Air Incubator, Basic	VWR International	414005-124	The incubator should be held at 33°C and 50% humidity.
Touch Test Sensory Evaluator, Kit of 20 (Semmes-Weinstein Von Frey Aesthesiometer for touch assessment)	Stoelting	58011	The following monofilaments should be used for perigenital sensitivity assessment: 1.65 g, 2.36 g, 2.83 g, 3.22 g, 3.61 g, 4.08 g, 4.31 g, and 4.74 g.
Animal Enclosure (12 mice 6 rats)	IITC	435	Be sure to place a heavy object on top of the individual, acrylic animal enclosures to prevent mice from escaping.
Mesh Stand for mice and rats (12 mice 6 rats)	IITC	410	Place stand on a stable table top for comfortable access.
Phosphate buffered saline	Sigma-Aldrich	P5493	Dilute the 10x PBS stock to 1x PBS.
Paraformaldehyde	Sigma-Aldrich	P6148	A 4% paraformaldehyde solution is needed to intracardially perfuse mice and postfix tissue in preparation for mast cell staining.
Sucrose	Sigma-Aldrich	S5016	Cryoprotect fixed tissue in 30% sucrose solution at 4°C overnight.
Heptane	Sigma-Aldrich	246654	Chill heptane on dry ice to freeze tissue.
Standard Cryomold	VWR International	4557	To assist in freezing prostate tissue prior to cryostat sectioning
Tissue-Tek OCT Compound	Sakura	4583	12 x 125 ml
VWR Superfrost Plus Micro Slide	VWR International	48311-703	75 x 25 x 1 mm
Toluidine Blue O	Sigma-Aldrich	198161	Certified by the Biological Stain Commission. Suitable for use as a metachromatic stain for mast cells.
Ethanol, Absolute (200 Proof)	Fisher Scientific	BP2818-4	Molecular Biology Grade, Fisher Bioreagents; 95% and 100% solutions will be needed to dehydrate stained cryosections before mast cell visualization.
Sodium Chloride	Sigma-Aldrich	S9888	Acidified NaCl solution should be made fresh before staining cryosections.
GeneMate Sterile 50 ml Centrifuge Tubes	BioExpress	C-3394	Disposable tubes used to mix toulidine blue elements or dip slides into 1xPBS.
Coplin staining dish for 10 slides, with ground glass cover	Fisher Scientific	08-815	Hold up to 10 standard 3 x 1 in. (75 x 25mm) slides back-to-back. Use separate dishes for Toluidine Blue working solution, 95% EtOH, 100% EtOH, and xylene.
Xylenes (Histological)	Fisher Scientific	X3P	Once dehydrated, tissue is cleared with xylene.
Microscope Slide Boxes, 100-Place	VWR International	82003	Boxes can be used for storage and transportation of slides.
Fisherbrand Microscope Slide Box	Fisher Scientific	22-363-400	These slide boxes are typically small enough to fit inside a cryostate.
Glycerol	Sigma-Aldrich	G5516	Glycerol is a traditional mounting medium.
Mounting Medium, Richard-Allan Scientific	VWR International	4111	Mounting medium firmly bonds the coverslip to the slide.
Micro Cover Glasses, Rectangular, No. 1	VWR International	48393-106	A coverslip is placed over the dehydrated and cleared tissue to protect the sample.
Light Microscope	Nikon		The Advanced Automated Research Microscope Eclipse 90i, used by our lab, has been discontinued and replaced Eclipse Ni-E.