Biomechanical Properties and Associated Collagen Composition in Vaginal Tissue of Women with Pelvic Organ Prolapse

No AccessJournal of UrologyAdult Urology1 Sep 2012Biomechanical Properties and Associated Collagen Composition in Vaginal Tissue of Women with Pelvic Organ Prolapse Lu Zhou, Jung Han Lee, Yan Wen, Christos Constantinou, Murayama Yoshinobu, Sadao Omata, and Bertha Chen Lu ZhouLu Zhou Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California Maternal and Children's Health Hospital of Shenzhen City, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China , Jung Han LeeJung Han Lee Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea , Yan WenYan Wen Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California , Christos ConstantinouChristos Constantinou Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California , Murayama YoshinobuMurayama Yoshinobu College of Engineering, Nihon University, Fukushima, Japan , Sadao OmataSadao Omata College of Engineering, Nihon University, Fukushima, Japan , and Bertha ChenBertha Chen Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2012.05.017AboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract Purpose: The pelvic tissue of women with pelvic organ prolapse is stiffer than that of controls but there are scant data on the collagen composition that corresponds to these mechanical properties. We evaluated human vaginal wall stiffness using the novel scanning haptic microscope and correlated these measurements to collagen expression in women with and without pelvic organ prolapse. In this simultaneous biomechanical and biochemical assessment we evaluated the usefulness of this measurement technology for pelvic floor disorder research and confirmed an association between mechanical properties and composition. Materials and Methods: The elastic constant (a measure of stiffness) of vaginal wall tissue was measured with the scanning haptic microscope. Protein expression of collagen types I and III of the same tissues were determined by Western blot. The Student t test was used for comparisons between groups. Results: The anterior and posterior vaginal walls of premenopausal and postmenopausal women with pelvic organ prolapse were significantly stiffer than those of controls (p <0.05). Collagen III protein expression in the anterior vaginal wall in the control group was higher than in menopausal women. Collagen I expression was not significantly different between controls and cases. Conclusions: The scanning haptic microscope produced reliable mechanical measurements in small tissue samples without tissue destruction. Vaginal wall tissues are stiffer in women with pelvic organ prolapse than in controls. This vaginal wall stiffness was associated with lower protein expression of collagen III in the vaginal wall compared to that in asymptomatic controls. References 1 : The distribution of pelvic organ support in a population of female subjects seen for routine gynecologic health care. Am J Obstet Gynecol2000; 183: 277. Google Scholar 2 : Biomechanical properties of vaginal tissue: Part 1: new experimental protocol. J Urol2007; 178: 320. Link, Google Scholar 3 : Dynamics of female pelvic floor function using urodynamics, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 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More articles by this author Jung Han Lee Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea Equal study contribution. More articles by this author Yan Wen Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California More articles by this author Christos Constantinou Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California More articles by this author Murayama Yoshinobu College of Engineering, Nihon University, Fukushima, Japan More articles by this author Sadao Omata College of Engineering, Nihon University, Fukushima, Japan More articles by this author Bertha Chen Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...