Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 in round ligament and uterosacral ligament tissue from women with pelvic organ prolapse

To evaluate the matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression in different parts of pelvic connective tissue in postmenopausal women with and without pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Ninety-one samples were obtained from only postmenopausal women (42 with POP and 49 non-POP subjects). All women were evaluated by pelvic organ prolapse quantitation. The POP group had stage 2 or more, and the controls had stage 1 or less. Round ligament (RL) and uterosacral ligament (USL) biopsies were obtained from women with POP and controls. Immunohistochemistry for MMP-1 was performed on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections. The two groups were matched for age, body mass index, parity and postmenopausal status. MedCalc Statistical Software Programme Version 12.0.5 was used for statistical analysis. Expression of MMP-1 were significantly higher in both RL and USL tissue from postmenopausal women with POP, compared with controls. MMP-1 immunoreactivities were identified in both RL and USL biopsies from all women with and without POP. The expression pattern of MMP-1 were similar in these ligaments and were significantly higher in POP group compared with control subjects. These changes indicate a possible relation between MMP-1 expression of RL and USL in women with and without POP.     

Immunohistochemical analysis of connective tissue in patients with pelvic organ prolapse

The uterosacral ligaments are an important part of the pelvic support system. The objective of this study was to compare the expression of collagen type I and collagen type III in the uterosacral ligament biopsies from women with and without pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The uterosacral ligament biopsies were obtained from women with POP (n = 29) and non-POP subjects (n = 35). Immunohistochemistry for collagen type I and collagen type III was performed on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections. The two groups were matched for age, body mass index, parity and postmenopausal status. The expression of collagen type I (p < 0.001) and collagen type III (p < 0.0001) differed between women with POP and non-POP subjects. There was decreased expression of collagen type I and increased expression of collagen type III in uterosacral ligaments of women with POP compared with non-POP subjects. This difference indicates a possible relationship between POP and the immunohistochemical expression of collagen type I and collagen type III in uterosacral ligaments.     

Expression of estrogen receptors in the pelvic floor of pre- and post-menopausal women presenting pelvic organ prolapse

The precise role of estrogen in the pathogenesis of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is still unclear, while the results concerning the effect of selective estrogen receptor modulators on pelvic organ prolapse are contradictory. Our aim was to test whether alteration in the expression of estrogen receptors in the pelvic floor of pre- and post-menopausal women is related to genital prolapse status. The mRNA levels of ERα and ERβ in 60 biopsy specimens were measured. Significantly higher expression of ERα and higher ERα/ERβ ratio were demonstrated in post-menopausal women compared to pre-menopausal women. Higher expression of ERα and higher ERα/ERβ ratio were detected in all studied groups with POP, thus it did not reach significance in the post-menopausal group. Pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women presenting pelvic organ prolapse had no difference in the ERα expression. Our preliminary study may indicate that pelvic organ prolapse is associated with higher expression of ERα/ERβ in the pelvic floor of both pre- and post-menopausal women; thus not reaching statistical significance in the post-menopausal women was probably due to the group's size. We believe that the inevitable changes in the estrogen receptor expression over women's different lifetimes may affect the risk of genital prolapse progression, and might contribute to the further search for appropriate selective estrogen receptor modulators as a treatment for women with pelvic organ prolapse.     

Changes in Muscularis Propria of Anterior Vaginal Wall in Women with Pelvic Organ Prolapse

The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphological and immunohistochemical alterations of tissue removed from the upper third of anterior vaginal wall in a sample group of the female population presenting homogenous risk factors associated with pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The case study consisted of 14 patients with POP and there were 10 patients in the control group. Patient selection was carried on the basis of specific criteria and all of the patients involved in the study presented one or more of the recognized POP risk factors. Samples were taken from POP patients during vaginal plastic surgery following colpohysterectomy, and from control patients during closure of the posterior fornix following hysterectomy. Samples were processed for histological and immunohistochemical analyses for Collagen I and Collagen III, α-Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA), Platelet-Derived-Growth-Factor (PDGF), matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), tissue inhibitors metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1), Caspase3. Immunofluorescence analyses for Collagen I and III and PDGF were also carried out. In prolapsed specimens our results show a disorganization of smooth muscle cells that appeared to have been displaced by an increased collagen III deposition resulting in rearrangement of the muscularis propria architecture. These findings suggest that the increase in the expression of collagen fibers in muscularis could probably be due to a phenotypic switch resulting in the dedifferentiation of smooth muscle cells into myofibroblasts. These alterations could be responsible for the compromising of the dynamic functionality of the pelvic floor.Key words: Pelvic organ prolapse, immunohistochemistry, smooth muscle cells, collagen, PDGF     

A Retrospective Analysis of the Effectiveness of a Modified Abdominal High Uterosacral Colpopexy in the Treatment of Uterine Prolapse

To evaluate the clinical value of a novel method for high uterosacral colpopexy in the treatment of uterine prolapse. Thirty-one cases with severe pelvic organ prolapse diagnosed by pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) system received a novel high sacral colpopexy method. Clinical parameters associated perioperative period and 12?months after surgery and complications were analyzed. A questionnaire survey on pelvic floor distress inventory and pelvic organ prolapse/urinary incontinence and sexual function was implemented. Between January 2007 and June 2008, 31 patients successfully received a Modified Abdominal High Uterosacral Colpopexy. The mean operation time was 50?±?15?min, and the average blood loss was 100?±?20?mls. 28 Patients returned for a 1-year follow-up, and the average follow-up period was 14?±?6?months. According to POP-Q system evaluation, the rate of operational success reached 100?%. There were no significant intraoperative and postoperative complications. A total of 31 responses on pelvic floor distress inventory short form questionnaire and 24 responses on pelvic organ prolapse/urinary incontinence sexual questionnaire showed that there was statistical significant difference before and after the procedure. This novel, high uterosacral colpopexy method is a safe and effective method for the treatment of uterine prolapse.     

Local oestrogen therapy modulates extracellular matrix and immune response in the vaginal tissue of post‐menopausal women with severe pelvic organ prolapse

This study investigates the effect of local oestrogen therapy (LET) on the expression of proteins participating in collagen/elastin biogenesis and immune markers in vaginal tissues of post‐menopausal women with severe pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Vaginal biopsies were collected from the anterior vaginal wall of informed and consented 52 post‐menopausal women with severe POP undergoing total hysterectomy. Twenty‐nine of the 52 women were treated with LET (in the form of vaginal oestrogen cream or tablet), while the remaining 23 untreated patients served as the controls. This study was approved by Sinai Health System REB. Vaginal tissue specimens were analysed for gene and protein expression using real‐time RT‐PCR and Luminex assays, protein localization and immune cell infiltration were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Forty‐four cytokines were detected. We found that LET application: (a) significantly increased (P < 0.05) gene and protein expression levels of extracellular matrix (ECM) structural proteins, collagen and elastin, as well as the expression of ECM maturation enzyme BMP1; (b) decreased protein expression level of ECM degradation enzymes MMP1, MMP2 and MMP3 accompanied by an increase in their tissue inhibitors, TIMP1 and TIMP4; (c) significantly increased (P < 0.05) the gene and protein expression levels of 14 vaginal cytokines involved in leucocyte infiltration, which was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Our results indicate that LET plays an important role in the activation of immune system within the local vaginal environment, limiting the undesirable ECM degradation, which supports the strengthening of vaginal ECM in post‐menopausal women, therefore resisting menopause/age‐related changes and inducing urogenital tract tissue regeneration.     

Potential Role of Semaphorin 3A and Its Receptors in Regulating Aberrant Sympathetic Innervation in Peritoneal and Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis

Previous studies have demonstrated the involvement of nerve repellent factors in regulation of the imbalanced innervation of endometriosis. This prospective study aims to explore the role of Sema 3A in regulating aberrant sympathetic innervation in peritoneal and deep infiltrating endometriosis. Ectopic endometriotic lesion were collected from patients with peritoneal endometriosis (n = 24) and deep infiltrating endometriosis of uterosacral ligament (n = 20) undergoing surgery for endometriosis. Eutopic endometrial samples were collected from patients with endometriosis (n = 22) or without endometriosis (n = 26). Healthy peritoneum (n = 13) from the lateral pelvic wall and healthy uterosacral ligament (n = 13) were obtained from patients who had no surgical and histological proof of endometriosis during hysterectomy for uterine fibroids. Firstly, we studied the immunostaining of Sema 3A, Plexin A1 and NRP-1 in all the tissues described above. Then we studied the nerve fiber density (NFD) of endometriosis-associated (sympathetic) nerve and para-endometriotic (sympathetic) nerve by double immunofluorescence staining. Finally we analyzed the relationship between expression of Sema 3A in stromal cells of endometriotic lesion and the aberrant innervation of endometriosis. Semi-quantitative immunostaining demonstrated that (1) Higher immunostaining of Sema 3A were found in the eutopic endometrial glandular epithelial cells from patients with endometriosis (p = 0.041) than those without endometriosis; (2) Sema 3A immunostaining was higher in glandular epithelial cells of peritoneal endometriosis (P<0.001) and deep infiltrating endometriotic lesions of uterosacral ligament (P = 0.028)compared with glandular epithelial cells of the endometrium from women with endometriosis, while its expression in ectopic stormal cells in both groups were significantly lower than that from eutopic endometrium of women without endometirosis (P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively). NFDs of Anti-TH (+) endometriosis-associated sympathetic nerve of peritoneal endometriosis (p<0.001) and deep endometriosis of uterosacral ligament (p<0.001) were significantly lower than NFDs of para-endometriotic sympathetic nerve. Our results suggest that Sema 3A may contribute to the regulation of aberrant sympathetic innervation in peritoneal and deep infiltrating endometriosis.     

基因多态性在盆底器官脱垂中的研究进展

盆底器官脱垂（Pelvic Organ Prolapse,POP）是遗传和环境因素共同作用引起的中老年妇女常见病,其发病率逐年上升。目前,环境因素已基本明确,而遗传因素尚未阐明。近年来,由于基因分型及遗传基因鉴定技术的快速发展,以及对盆底器官脱垂的群体调查及家系分析的增加,盆腔脏器脱垂的遗传研究有一定的进展,本文就其在基因多态性方面的发现做一综述。     

补中益气汤联合低频脉冲电刺激促进产后盆底功能障碍的效果及血清松弛素、CTGF和MMP-1水平的影响

摘要 目的：探讨补中益气汤联合低频脉冲电刺激促进产后盆底功能障碍的效果及血清松弛素（RLX）、结缔组织生长因子（CTGF）和基质金属蛋白酶-1（MMP-1）水平的影响。方法：选取我院2022年4月到2023年4月收治的150例产后盆底功能障碍患者作为研究对象，分为观察组与对照组，各组均75例。对照组患者采取低频脉冲电刺激治疗，观察组患者采取补中益气汤联合低频脉冲电刺激治疗，对比两组患者的临床疗效，治疗前后盆底表面肌电变化情况，并分别在治疗前后应用盆腔脏器官脱垂-尿失禁性功能问卷（PISQ-12）、国际尿控协会盆腔脏器脱垂定量分析量表（POP-Q）、尿失禁问卷表简表（ICI-Q-SF）评估两组患者的性功能、盆腔脱垂程度及尿失禁情况，并对比治疗前后血清RLX、CTGF和MMP-1表达水平。结果：观察组总有效率93.33%明显高于对照组78.67%（P＜0.05）；两组患者治疗前耐力收缩（Ⅱ类肌）、持续收缩和快速收缩（Ⅰ类肌）、前静息电位、后静息电位肌电水平对比无差异（P＞0.05），治疗后观察组快速收缩（Ⅰ类肌）高于对照组（P＜0.05），静息电位与后静息电位低于对照组（P＜0.05）；两组患者治疗前PISQ-12、POP-Q和ICI-Q-SF评分对比无明显差异（P＞0.05），治疗后两组患者PISQ-12、ICI-Q-SF评分升高，观察组较对照组高，POP-Q评分均降低，观察组较对照组低（P＜0.05）；两组患者治疗前RLX、CTGF和MMP-1表达水平对比无差异（P＞0.05），治疗后两组患者RLX、CTGF和MMP-1表达水平均降低，且观察组低于对照组（P＜0.05）。结论：补中益气汤联合低频脉冲电刺激可提升产后盆底功能障碍的临床疗效，改善盆底肌表面肌电变化，改善患者性功能、盆腔脱垂程度及尿失禁情况，且能够降低血清松弛素、CTGF和MMP-1表达水平。     

基因多态性在盆底器官脱垂中的研究进展

盆底器官脱垂(Pelvic Organ Prolapse,POP)是遗传和环境因素共同作用引起的中老年妇女常见病,其发病率逐年上升。目前,环境因素已基本明确,而遗传因素尚未阐明。近年来,由于基因分型及遗传基因鉴定技术的快速发展,以及对盆底器官脱垂的群体调查及家系分析的增加,盆腔脏器脱垂的遗传研究有一定的进展,本文就其在基因多态性方面的发现做一综述。     

How Accurate Is Preoperative Evaluation of Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Women Undergoing Vaginal Reconstruction Surgery?

Objective

To evaluate the differences between the in-office and intraoperative techniques used to evaluate pelvic organ prolapse.

Materials and Methods

A prospective study included 25 women undergoing vaginal reconstruction surgery including vaginal hysterectomy for pelvic organ prolapse. The outpatient pelvic and site-specific vaginal examination was performed in the lithotomy position with the Valsalva maneuver. Repeated intraoperative examination was performed under general anesthesia with standard mild cervical traction. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system (POPQ) was used for both measurements and staging. The values found under the two conditions were compared.

Results

The intraoperative POPQ-measurements values were significantly higher than the outpatient values for apical wall prolapse in 17/25 (68%) women and for anterior wall prolapse in 8/25 (32%) women. There was not a significant difference in the posterior wall where increase in staging was shown in 3/25 (12%) patients.

Conclusions

Clinicians and patients should be alert to the possibility that pelvic organ measurements performed under general anesthesia with mild traction may be different from preoperative evaluation.     

Regulation of elastolytic proteases in the mouse vagina during pregnancy, parturition, and puerperium

Recent evidence indicates that failure of elastic fiber assembly and synthesis is involved in the pathophysiology of pelvic organ prolapse in mice. It has been long been hypothesized that parturition-induced activation of proteases in the vaginal wall and its supportive tissues may contribute to pelvic organ prolapse in women. In this investigation, we determined the expression of matrix metalloproteases with elastase activity (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP] 2, MMP9, and MMP12) and their inhibitors in the vaginal wall of nonpregnant, pregnant, and postpartum mice. Data obtained using mRNA levels and enzyme activity measurements indicate that MMP2, MMP9, and 21- to 24-kDa caseinolytic serine proteases are regulated in vaginal tissues from pregnant and postpartum mice. Although suppressed during pregnancy and the early postpartum time period, MMP2 and MMP9 enzyme activities are increased after 48 h, a time when mRNA levels of protease inhibitors (tissue inhibitor of MMP2 [Timp2], cystatin C [Cst3], and alpha-1 antitrypsin [Serpina1]) are decreased. We conclude that recovery of the vaginal wall from pregnancy and parturition requires increased elastic fiber assembly and synthesis to counteract the marked increase in elastolytic activity of the postpartum vagina.     

SMAD2, SMAD3 and TGF-β GENE expressions in women suffering from urge urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse

Molecular Biology Reports - We evaluated the changes in the levels of&nbsp;TGF-β and SMAD gene and protein expression in the uterosacral ligament (USL) of patients with concomitant pelvic...     

子宫托对阴道微生态的影响以及应用雌激素的作用

通常将阴道前后壁、膀胱或直肠等盆腔脏器突入阴道内,称为盆腔脏器脱垂,常发生于老年女性。盆腔脏器脱垂及其引起的排尿相关症状严重影响患者的生活质量。目前临床上治疗盆腔脏器脱垂最常用的方法为佩戴子宫托。子宫托治疗盆腔脏器脱垂已有久远的历史。使用子宫托可明显改善盆腔脏器脱垂患者的临床症状,提高患者的生活质量。然而研究显示,对于机体而言,阴道内放置子宫托可在一定程度上影响阴道微生态环境平衡,从而使佩戴子宫托患者的细菌性阴道病患病率增加4.37倍。同时使用雌激素可明显减少由使用子宫托引起的阴道微环境改变、出血、溃疡等症状的发生。现就子宫托对阴道微生态的影响以及应用雌激素的作用做一简要综述。     

Significant Linkage Evidence for a Predisposition Gene for Pelvic Floor Disorders on Chromosome 9q21

Predisposition factors for pelvic floor disorders (PFDs), including pelvic organ prolapse (POP), stress urinary incontinence (SUI), urge urinary incontinence (UUI), and hernias, are not well understood. We assessed linkage evidence for PFDs in mostly sister pairs who received treatment for moderate-to-severe POP. We genotyped 70 affected women of European descent from 32 eligible families with at least two affected cases by using the Illumina 1 million single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker set. Parametric linkage analysis with general dominant and recessive models was performed by the Markov chain Monte Carlo linkage analysis method, MCLINK, and a set of SNPs was formed, from which those in high linkage disequilibrium were eliminated. Significant genome-wide evidence for linkage was identified on chromosome 9q21 with a HLOD score of 3.41 under a recessive model. Seventeen pedigrees (53%) had at least nominal evidence for linkage on a by-pedigree basis at this region. These results provide evidence for a predisposition gene for PFDs on chromosome 9q.     

Endometrial mesenchymal stem cells as a cell based therapy for pelvic organ prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse(POP) occurs when the pelvic organs(bladder, bowel or uterus) herniate into the vagina, causing incontinence, voiding, bowel and sexual dysfunction, negatively impacting upon a woman's quality of life. POP affects 25% of all women and results from childbirth injury. For 19% of all women, surgical reconstructive surgery is required for treatment, often augmented with surgical mesh. The surgical treatment fails in up to 30% of cases or results in adverse effects, such as pain and mesh erosion into the bladder, bowel or vagina. Due to these complications the Food and Drug Administration cautioned against the use of vaginal mesh and several major brands have been recently been withdrawn from market. In this review we will discuss new cell-based approaches being developed for the treatment of POP. Several cell types have been investigated in animal models, including a new source of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells(MSC) derived from human endometrium. The unique characteristics of endometrial MSC, methods for their isolation and purification and steps towards their development for good manufacturing practice production will be described. Animal models that could be used to examine the potential for this approach will also be discussed as will a rodent model showing promise in developing an endometrial MSC-based therapy for POP. The development of a preclinical large animal model for assessing tissue engineering constructs for treating POP will also be mentioned.     

Pelvic Organ Support in Animals with Partial Loss of Fibulin-5 in the Vaginal Wall

Compromise of elastic fiber integrity in connective tissues of the pelvic floor is most likely acquired through aging, childbirth-associated injury, and genetic susceptibility. Mouse models of pelvic organ prolapse demonstrate systemic deficiencies in proteins that affect elastogenesis. Prolapse, however, does not occur until several months after birth and is thereby acquired with age or after parturition. To determine the impact of compromised levels of fibulin-5 (Fbln5) during adulthood on pelvic organ support after parturition and elastase-induced injury, tissue-specific conditional knockout (cKO) mice were generated in which doxycycline (dox) treatment results in deletion of Fbln5 in cells that utilize the smooth muscle α actin promoter-driven reverse tetracycline transactivator and tetracycline responsive element-Cre recombinase (i.e., Fbln5^f/f/SMA⁺⁺-rtTA/Cre⁺, cKO). Fbln5 was decreased significantly in the vagina of cKO mice compared with dox-treated wild type or controls (Fbln5^f/f/SMA⁺⁺-rtTA/Cre^-/-). In controls, perineal body length (PBL) and bulge increased significantly after delivery but declined to baseline values within 6–8 weeks. Although overt prolapse did not occur in cKO animals, these transient increases in PBL postpartum were amplified and, unlike controls, parturition-induced increases in PBL (and bulge) did not recover to baseline but remained significantly increased for 12 wks. This lack of recovery from parturition was associated with increased MMP-9 and nondetectable levels of Fbln5 in the postpartum vagina. This predisposition to prolapse was accentuated by injection of elastase into the vaginal wall in which overt prolapse occurred in cKO animals, but rarely in controls. Taken together, our model system in which Fbln5 is conditionally knock-downed in stromal cells of the pelvic floor results in animals that undergo normal elastogenesis during development but lose Fbln5 as adults. The results indicate that vaginal fibulin-5 during development is crucial for baseline pelvic organ support and is also important for protection and recovery from parturition- and elastase-induced prolapse.     

Effect of vaginal distention on elastic fiber synthesis and matrix degradation in the vaginal wall: potential role in the pathogenesis of pelvic organ prolapse

Matrix metalloprotease (MMP) activity is increased in the postpartum vagina of wild-type (WT) animals. This degradative activity is also accompanied by a burst in elastic fiber synthesis and assembly. The mechanisms that precipitate these changes are unclear. The goals of this study were to determine how vaginal distention (such as in parturition) affects elastic fiber homeostasis in the vaginal wall and the potential significance of these changes in the pathogenesis of pelvic organ prolapse. Vaginal distention with a balloon simulating parturition resulted in increased MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity in the vaginal wall of nonpregnant and pregnant animals. This was accompanied by visible fragmented and disrupted elastic fibers in the vaginal wall. In nonpregnant animals, the abundant amounts of tropoelastin and fibulin-5 in the vagina were not increased further by distention. In contrast, in pregnant animals, the suppressed levels of both proteins were increased 3-fold after vaginal distention. Distention performed in fibulin-5-deficient (Fbln5(-/-)) mice with defective elastic fiber synthesis and assembly induced accelerated pelvic organ prolapse, which never recovered. We conclude that, in pregnant mice, vaginal distention results in increased protease activity in the vaginal wall but also increased synthesis of proteins important for elastic fiber assembly. Distention may thereby contribute to the burst of elastic fiber synthesis in the postpartum vagina. The finding that distention results in accelerated pelvic organ prolapse in Fbln5(-/-) animals, but not in WT, indicates that elastic fiber synthesis is crucial for recovery of the vaginal wall from distention-induced increases in vaginal protease activity.