Effect of urethral wall injection of replication-defective herpes simplex virus-mediated gene transfer of kynurenine aminotransferase on urethral pressure in spinal cord-injured rats.

Aims: We determined whether or not replication-defective herpes simplex virus vector-mediated kynurenine aminotransferase II (HSVrd-KAT II) suppressed the tonic activity of the urethral sphincter in spinal cord-injured (SCI) rats.

Methods: Thirty-six adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were used to produce a spinal cord injury model. One week after spinalization, HSVrd-KAT II was injected into the urethral wall of rats and another two groups of SCI rats were treated with saline and HSVrd as controls.