Submucosal injection of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres in rabbit bladder as a potential treatment for urinary incontinence and vesicoureteral reflux: preliminary results.

Abstract

Endoscopic injection of bulking agents has been gaining attention as a therapy for urinary incontinence and vesicoureteral reflux because this therapy is simpler, less operation time-consuming and less painful than traditional surgical operations. The ideal bulking agent for the injection therapies must be easily injectable, biocompatible, volume-stable, non-antigenic and non-migratory. We evaluated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres as an injectable bulking agent for urologic injection therapies. To determine whether PLGA microspheres meet the requirements of an ideal bulking agent, PLGA microspheres were injected into the submucosal sites of a rabbit bladder wall. The microspheres were easily injectable. Two and five weeks post-implantation, histological examinations indicated that host cells from the surrounding bladder tissues migrated to the space between the injected microspheres and formed new hybrid tissue structures. Lymphocyte migration was noted around the implanted microspheres, but the inflammatory reaction diminished at 5 weeks. The hybrid tissue volume did not significantly decrease over time. There was no evidence of microsphere migration to the distant organs. Although long-term studies are needed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of this method, these preliminary results suggest the possibility of PLGA microspheres as a potentially useful injection material for urinary injection therapies.

• Authors: Eui Ri Cho, Sun-Woong Kang, Heung Jae Park, Young Sam Cho, You Sik Lee, Joon Chul Kim, Byung-Soo Kim
• Journal: Journal of biomaterials science. Polymer edition (J Biomater Sci Polym Ed) Vol. 16 Issue 9 Pg. 1109-20 ( 2005) ISSN: 0920-5063 [Print] England
• PMID: 16231602 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Polymers
• Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer
• Polyglycolic Acid
• Lactic Acid

Topics

• Animals
• Cell Movement
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Inflammation (chemically induced)
• Injections
• Lactic Acid (administration & dosage)
• Lymphocytes (cytology)
• Materials Testing
• Microspheres
• Polyglycolic Acid (administration & dosage)
• Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer
• Polymers (administration & dosage)
• Rabbits
• Urinary Bladder (cytology)
• Urinary Incontinence (therapy)
• Vesico-Ureteral Reflux (therapy)