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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Coloproctology 2022; 42(03): 217-222
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1750074
Original Article

Vaginal Distention Rodent Model for Fecal Incontinence: A Pilot Study on the Effect on Defecation Behavior

Perla Douven 
1   Department of Urology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
2   Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
3   Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
4   Department of Translational Neuroscience, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
,
Glenn Franken 
2   Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
4   Department of Translational Neuroscience, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
,
Jacques Debets
4   Department of Translational Neuroscience, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
5   Muroidean Facility, School of Cardiovascular Diseases (CARIM), Maastricht, The Netherlands
,
Elbert A. Joosten
2   Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
4   Department of Translational Neuroscience, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
,
Gommert A. van Koeveringe 
1   Department of Urology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
4   Department of Translational Neuroscience, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
,
Jarno Melenhorst 
3   Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
,
Stephanie O. Breukink 
3   Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
4   Department of Translational Neuroscience, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
6   Nutrim, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, The Netherlands
7   GROW, School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Abstract

Objectives Vaginal balloon inflation simulates the compressive forces on the pelvic floor during the second phase of natural delivery. The foremost use of this animal model of vaginal distention (VD) is to study the mechanisms underlying urinary incontinence. As damage to the pelvic floor during natural birth is a common cause of fecal incontinence, the present paper aimed to investigate the effect of VD on defecation behavior in adult rats.

Methods Vaginal distention was performed in 8 rats for 2 hours, and in 3 rats for 4 hours, and sham inflation was performed in 4 rats. With the use of a latrine box in the rat home-cage and 24/7 video tracking, the defecation behavior was examined. The time spent in and outside the latrine was monitored for two weeks preoperatively and three weeks postoperatively, and a defecation behavior index (DBI; range: 0 [continent] to 1 [incontinent]) was defined. Pelvic floor tissue was collected postmortem and stained with hematoxylin and eosin.

Results Vaginal balloon inflation for 2 hours resulted in fecal incontinence in 29% of the animals (responders) whereas the DBI scores of non-responders (71%) and control animals did not change in the postoperative phase compared with the baseline score. A 4-hour balloon inflation resulted in fecal incontinence in 1 animal and caused a humane endpoint in 2 animals with markedly more tissue damage in the 4-hour responder compared with the 2-hour responders.

Conclusions Vaginal balloon inflation, with an optimum duration between 2 and 4 hours, can be used as a model to study changes in defecation behavior in rats induced by pelvic floor damage.

Keywords

animal - bowel dysfunction - balloon model - sacral nerve stimulation - vaginal balloon inflation

Authorship Statement

PD, GAvK, EAJ, SOB and JM designed and conceptualized the study. PD and GF performed the experiments. PD analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. JD performed the vaginal distention and balloon inflation. All authors have approved the final version of the manuscript.




Publication History

Received: 16 February 2022

Accepted: 06 May 2022

Article published online:
20 June 2022

© 2022. Sociedade Brasileira de Coloproctologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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