AUTHOR=Wadie Bassem S. , Aamer Haytham G. , Khater Sherry M. , Gabr Mahmoud M. 

TITLE=The use of autologous skeletal muscle-derived cells as a sling in the treatment of stress-induced urinary incontinence: An experimental study in dogs

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Urology

VOLUME=Volume 2 - 2022

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/urology/articles/10.3389/fruro.2022.959583

DOI=10.3389/fruro.2022.959583

ISSN=2673-9828

ABSTRACT=Purpose:‎
This is an experimental preclinical study testing the applicability of ‎autologous skeletal muscle-derived cells as a treatment of SUI in a canine ‎model.‎
Methods:‎
Ten mongrel dogs were included in this study. Skeletal muscle was ‎harvested for biopsy in 4 dogs. One month later, incontinence was induced ‎in 8 dogs through urethrolysis. Biopsied muscle cells were incubated and ‎expanded for 8 weeks. Muscle-derived cells were collected and covered ‎with a polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffold immersed in culture medium and ‎coated with Matrigel to be used as a sling, which was placed suburethrally ‎in 8 dogs; 4 had cell seeding, and 4 had scaffolds only. Urethral pressure ‎‎(UP) measurements were performed at baseline and 2 & 6 weeks after sling ‎insertion. The urethra was harvested 4 weeks after sling insertion for ‎histopathology.‎
Results:‎
UP showed an increase in maximum urethral pressure during static ‎measurement in all dogs with a scaffold inserted. The increase ranged from ‎‎5-40 cmH2O. Histopathology showed significant periurethral proliferation ‎of skeletal muscles in 4 dogs with cell-seeded scaffolds. These levels were ‎the maximum levels in dogs # 1 & 2. This was not the case in the 4 dogs ‎that had slings only.‎
Conclusion: The use of skeletal muscle-seeded PGA scaffolds is a practical ‎technique with preserved histological differentiation integrity in a canine ‎model.‎