Development of male and female models of long urethral strictures in swine

Gokhan Gundogdu, MD; Travis Nguyen, BSc; Mando Eijansantos, BSc; Ambika Chaudhuri, BSc; David Barham, MD; Joel Gelman, MD; Joshua R. Mauney, PhD

Surgery Open Science (Dec 2023)

Development of male and female models of long urethral strictures in swine

Gokhan Gundogdu, MD,
Travis Nguyen, BSc,
Mando Eijansantos, BSc,
Ambika Chaudhuri, BSc,
David Barham, MD,
Joel Gelman, MD,
Joshua R. Mauney, PhD

Affiliations

Gokhan Gundogdu, MD: Department of Urology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA 92868, USA
Travis Nguyen, BSc: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
Mando Eijansantos, BSc: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
Ambika Chaudhuri, BSc: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
David Barham, MD: Department of Urology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA 92868, USA
Joel Gelman, MD: Department of Urology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA 92868, USA
Joshua R. Mauney, PhD: Department of Urology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA 92868, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA; Corresponding author at: University of California, Irvine, Departments of Urology and Biomedical Engineering, Building 55, 101 The City Drive South., Rm. 300, Orange, CA 92868, USA.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 16
pp. 205 – 214

Abstract

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Background: Preclinical animal models which mimic the dimensions of long urethral strictures (>2 cm in length) encountered in the clinic are necessary to evaluate prospective graft designs for urethroplasty. The purpose of this study was to develop both male and female porcine models of long urethral strictures (∼4 cm in length) and characterize histological and functional outcomes of iatrogenic stricture formation between genders. Methods: Focal, partial thickness urethral injuries were created over 5–6 cm long segments in male and female swine (N = 4 per gender) via electrocoagulation and the degree of stricture formation was monitored for up to 6 weeks by urethroscopy and retrograde urethrography. Animals were sacrificed following stricture confirmation and histological, immunohistochemical, and histomorphometric analyses were performed on strictured and uninjured control urethral segments to profile wound healing responses. Results: Urethral stricture formation was detected in all female swine by 2 weeks and 100 % of male swine at 3.2 ± 1.8 weeks, post-operatively. The mean length of urethral strictures in both male and female swine was ∼4 cm. Substantial variations in the degree of stricture severity between sexes were observed with males exhibiting significant urethral stenosis and loss of α-smooth muscle actin+ smooth muscle bundles in comparison to controls, while females primarily displayed defects in pan-cytokeratin+ epithelia as well as functional urethral obstruction. Conclusions: Electrocoagulation injury is sufficient to produce long urethral strictures in male and female swine and the degree of stricture severity and nature of urethral obstruction was observed to be dependent on gender. Animal Protocol: AUP-19-150. Key message: Novel male and female models of long urethral strictures in swine were created to characterize histological and functional outcomes of iatrogenic stricture formation between genders.

Published in Surgery Open Science

ISSN: 2589-8450 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Surgery
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/surgery-open-science/

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