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Research Article
Electroacupuncture improved urodynamic parameters in a rat model of postpartum stress urinary incontinence and was associated with modulation of motor protein–related pathways. These findings suggest potential molecular mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects.
Postpartum stress urinary incontinence (SUI) significantly impacts women's quality of life, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms of effective treatments remain elusive. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects and molecular pathways of electroacupuncture (EA) in a rat model of SUI. We established the SUI model using vaginal balloon dilation (VBD) and randomized subjects into model and EA-treated groups. Functional recovery was assessed by urodynamic testing, which showed that EA significantly increased leak point pressure (LPP) and maximum bladder capacity (MBC). Histopathological analysis using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining revealed improved muscle architecture and a 42.3% reduction in collagen deposition, along with suppressed inflammatory responses. Quantitative proteomics identified 2,907 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), with the STRING database highlighting motor protein pathways as central targets. Specifically, EA selectively downregulated core proteins, including MYL1, TNNI2, MYLPF, TNNT3, and TNNT1. These findings, validated by western blot and qPCR, suggest that EA alleviates SUI by modulating muscle contractility and remodeling the pelvic floor, providing insight into potential mechanisms underlying targeted SUI therapy.
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common pelvic floor disorder that affects 15–35% of postpartum women1,2, significantly impacting their quality of life and mental health. In addition to the physical symptoms, postpartum SUI creates a substantial psychosocial burden; many women experience embarrassment, reduced self-esteem, and social withdrawal. This condition can diminish feelings of femininity and lead to reluctance to engage in various activities, which may worsen feelings of isolation and contribute to postpartum depression3. SUI also presents economic challenges due to ....
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All procedures were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Guangzhou Miles Biotechnology Co., Ltd., approval number is IACUC-MIS2023045.
Establishment of the SUI Rat Model
A total of 20 female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, aged 6–8 weeks, were utilized to create a model of pelvic floor injury, simulating childbirth. To induce vaginal balloon dilation (VBD), the rats were anesthetized via intraperitoneal injection of ketamine (75 mg/kg) and xylazine (10 mg/kg). A deflated 10 Fr Foley catheter was carefully inserted into the mid-vaginal canal, and then the balloon was inflated with 3 mL of sterile saline. The ball....
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Urodynamic parameters in rats with vaginal balloon dilation injury
Bladder function, including urinary continence and maximum bladder capacity, was evaluated pre- and post-modeling. Urodynamic analyses revealed statistically significant deteriorations in both maximum bladder capacity (MBC) and leak point pressure (LPP) following vaginal balloon dilation (VBD) compared to baseline (P < 0.05). The MBC decreased from 2.34 ± 0.21 mL to 0.75 ± 0.32 mL (Table 2 and .......
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SUI, a common urological disorder affecting postpartum women, is pathologically linked to pelvic floor support structure damage during pregnancy and delivery7,27,28. Characterized by involuntary urine leakage during activities that increase intra-abdominal pressure (e.g., coughing, sneezing, or exercise), SUI significantly impairs patients' physical and psychological well-being, as well as their quality of life
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The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
This work was supported by Guangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine and Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Science and Technology Project, Project No. 20232A010025.
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| Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.22 µm PVDF membranes | Millipore | ISEQ00010 | |
| 2× UniTaq SYBR qPCR Master Mix (ROX-) | TIANYAbiotech | P1504 | |
| 4% paraformaldehyde | GSbioth | GS539A | |
| BCA assay kit | Dingguo Biotech | BCA02 | |
| bright-field microscopy | MSHOT | ml31 | |
| D-lactate dehydrogenase assay kit | Beyotime | P0392S | |
| ECL Prime reagent | Cytiva | RPN2232 | |
| Electrophoresis apparatus | WIX | miniPro4 | |
| Fully Automated Chemiluminescence Image Analysis System | FUJIFILM | LAS-3000 | |
| GAPDH antibody | Affinity Biosciences | T0004 | |
| HRP-conjugated secondary antibodies | Affinity Biosciences | S0001,S0002 | |
| ImageJ 1.54 software | NIH | ||
| Masson's trichrome staining kit | GSbioth | GS800A | |
| MYL1 antibody | Cloud-Clone | PAB105Ra01 | |
| MYLPF antibody | Affinity Biosciences | DF9048 | |
| name | company | catalog Number | |
| PowerLab Chart v5.2.1 | ADInstruments | ||
| Primer Premier 5.0 software | PREMIER Biosoft | ||
| PrimeScript RT Master Mix | TAKARA | RR036A | |
| Proteome Discoverer 2.4 software | Thermo Fisher Scientific | ||
| Rapid semi-dry rotary film apparatus | Bio-Rad | 788BR04132 | |
| Real-time fluorescence qPCR quantitative system | TIANLONG | TL100 | |
| RIPA lysis buffer | Beyotime | P0013B | |
| RNA extraction kit | Aidlab | RN70 | |
| rotary microtome | Leica | RM2235 | |
| SDS-PAGE gels | Beyotime | P0052A,P0053A | |
| standardized H&E staining kit | GSbioth | GS700A | |
| TBST buffer | biosharp | BL346A | |
| TNNI2 antibody | Cloud-Clone | PAD230Ra01 | |
| TNNT1 antibody | Cloud-Clone | PAD231Ra01 | |
| TNNT3 antibody | Cloud-Clone | PAD233Hu01 | |
| total RNA extraction reagent | biosharp | BL258A | |
| Urodynamic testing system | Techman | BL-420 |
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