Metabolic profile of glycosaminoglycans in bladder and urethra of female rats during and after pregnancy.

Introduction And Hypothesis: The objective of this study is to evaluate pregnancy's action on glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) profile in bladder and urethra of female adult rats.

Methods: Twenty adult female rats were divided into four groups: control, day 10 pregnancy, day 20 pregnancy, and day 5 after delivery. Sulfated GAGs content were determined by densitometry. Hyaluronic acid was assessed by fluorimetric enzyme-linked immunosorbent serologic-like assay. Radioactive GAGs were quantified by measuring radioactivity in electrophoresis gel. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests.

Results: In all groups, dermatan sulfate was predominant followed by heparan sulfate and hyaluronic acid. Significant decrease in total GAGs in bladder was observed at the beginning of pregnancy, with progressive increase. Biosynthesis of such molecules showed a similar behavior. In urethra, changes in GAGs content were restricted to the end of pregnancy. Hyaluronic acid content showed a significant increase in bladder during puerperium.

Conclusions: We observed different composition in vesical and urethral tissues during pregnancy and in puerperium.