Oxybutynin ameliorates LPS‐induced inflammatory response in human bladder epithelial cells

Abstract Urinary tract infection (UTI) mainly results from bacterial infections in the urinary tract and markedly impacts the normal lives of millions of patients worldwide. The infection and damage to urethral epithelial cells is the first and key step of UTI development and is a critical target for treating clinical UTI. Oxybutynin, an agent for treating urinary incontinence, is recently claimed with protective effects on bladder ultrastructure. Our study will assess the impact of Oxybutynin on inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated bladder epithelial cells. Bladder epithelial T24 cells were treated with 1 μg/mL LPS with or without 10 and 20 μM Oxybutynin for 24 h. Increased levels of oxidative stress (OS) biomarkers, such as reactive oxygen species, 8‐hydroxy‐2'‐deoxyguanosine, malondialdehyde, as well as upregulated inducible nitric oxide synthase and promoted release of nitric oxide, were observed in LPS‐managed T24 cells, all of which were signally suppressed by Oxybutynin. Furthermore, severe inflammatory responses, including enhanced release of cytokines, upregulated matrix metallopeptidase‐2 (MMP‐2) and MMP‐9, and raised monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 level, were found in LPS‐challenged T24 cells, which were markedly reversed by Oxybutynin. Moreover, the activated toll‐1ike receptor 4/nuclear factor‐κB pathway observed in LPS‐managed T24 cells was repressed by Oxybutynin. Collectively, Oxybutynin mitigated LPS‐induced inflammatory response in human bladder epithelial cells.