Vagal afferent responses to cystometry in rat models of urinary bladder irritation: c-fos immunohistochemistry study

• Published in: International urology and nephrology Vol. 56; no. 1; pp. 69 - 75
• Main Authors: Kaddumi, Ezidin G., Fararjeh, AbdulFattah S., Udwan, Manal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.01.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal models; Animals; Bladder; c-Fos protein; Cyclophosphamide; Immunohistochemistry; Innervation; Irritation; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nephrology; Nodose ganglion; Rats; Sensory neurons; Urinary bladder; Urinary Bladder - physiology; Urology; Urology - Original Paper; Vagotomy; Vagus nerve; Vagus Nerve - metabolism; c-Fos; Vagus nerve; Urinary bladder; Cystitis; Nodose ganglion
• ISSN: 1573-2584; 0301-1623; 1573-2584
• DOI: 10.1007/s11255-023-03791-y

Purpose Although recent literature provides increasing evidence concerning urinary bladder innervation by vagal afferents, the functional aspects and the conditions at which these afferents are recruited are still unclear. Methods In the present study, the neuronal responses of nodose ganglion following cystometry, under different models of rat’s urinary bladder irritation, cyclophosphamide (CYP), cyclophosphamide with cervical vagotomy (Vx), chronic HCl, and acute HCl, were investigated using c-fos immunohistochemistry. Results The c-fos expression in the nodose ganglion, following cystometry, was increased significantly in the CYP and chronic-HCl groups compared to the intact, Vx, and acute-HCl groups. In addition, the acute-HCl group showed a significant increase compared to intact animals. Following cervical vagotomy, the expression in the Vx group decreased significantly compared to the CYP group, but was significantly higher than that in the intact group. Conclusion The results of this study demonstrate the innervation of the vagus afferents to the urinary bladder. This innervation is activated under urinary bladder irritation conditions, which may indicate a possible role of the vagus nerve during urinary bladder pathology.