Lee Jane-Dar, Lee Ming-Huei
Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC; Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Urology, Taichung Hospital, Department of Health, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
J Formos Med Assoc. 2014 Jan;113(1):17-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jfma.2012.03.010. Epub 2012 Jun 5.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Unique barrier properties of the urothelial surface membrane permit urine storage without contents leak into the bloodstream. Previous reports suggested that the bladder urothelial barrier might be compromised in interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS). We examined the changes of tight junction proteins (zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin) in IC/PBS patients.
Bladder samples were derived from of 32 patients with IC/PBS and eight controls. We detected the tight junction proteins of ZO-1 and occludin expression by immunoblotting, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and double immunofluorescent (IF) staining with confocal microscopy. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test.
Expression of ZO-1 and occludin in the IC/PBS group was reduced compared to the control group by immunoblotting and IHC staining. Also, the thinning and denudation of urothelium were demonstrated in the IC/PBS group by histological study. IF staining showed the interruption of bladder urothelium in IC/PBS patients under confocal microscopy.
Our data showed that decreased expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and occludin) and interruption of bladder urothelium in IC/PBS patients. Treatment to repair the discontinuous urothelium may be useful to relieve some clinical symptoms of patients with IC/PBS.
背景/目的：尿路上皮表面膜独特的屏障特性可使尿液储存，而尿液内容物不会漏入血液。既往报道提示，间质性膀胱炎/膀胱疼痛综合征（IC/PBS）患者的膀胱尿路上皮屏障可能受损。我们研究了IC/PBS患者紧密连接蛋白（闭合蛋白-1（ZO-1）和闭合蛋白）的变化。
膀胱样本取自32例IC/PBS患者和8例对照者。我们通过免疫印迹、免疫组织化学（IHC）染色以及共聚焦显微镜下的双重免疫荧光（IF）染色检测ZO-1和闭合蛋白的紧密连接蛋白表达。数据采用曼-惠特尼U检验进行分析。
通过免疫印迹和IHC染色发现，IC/PBS组中ZO-1和闭合蛋白的表达低于对照组。此外，组织学研究显示IC/PBS组存在尿路上皮变薄和剥脱。IF染色在共聚焦显微镜下显示IC/PBS患者的膀胱尿路上皮中断。
我们的数据表明，IC/PBS患者紧密连接蛋白（ZO-1和闭合蛋白）表达降低且膀胱尿路上皮中断。修复不连续尿路上皮的治疗可能有助于缓解IC/PBS患者的一些临床症状。
