Conclusions
The outcomes of this investigation indicated that the application of co-cultured adipose-derived and muscle-derived stem cells could be associated with higher therapeutic value in stress urinary incontinence patients compared with singular-cell treatments.
Methods
We performed bilateral pudendal nerve transection surgeries to simulate urinary incontinence in 25 female Wistar rats and employed urodynamic evaluations to confirm the injury. We autologously isolated and cultured adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells, muscle-derived stem cells, and a mixed culture of the two types, which we subsequently injected into the urethral lumen of the damaged animals. Three weeks after the injection, urodynamic assays, histological staining, and immunohistochemical evaluations were performed to determine the efficacy of the implanted cell cultures in sphincter function improvements or structural modifications.
Results
Histological evaluations suggested a regenerative process in the muscular layer of the external sphincter 3 weeks after the injection. Also, immunohistochemical analysis revealed a thickened periurethral striated muscle layer in the co-cultured group. Postinjection urodynamic analysis indicated that the urethral pressure profile significantly increased in the co-cultured group compared with other groups. Conclusions: The outcomes of this investigation indicated that the application of co-cultured adipose-derived and muscle-derived stem cells could be associated with higher therapeutic value in stress urinary incontinence patients compared with singular-cell treatments.