Background & objectives: In bladder outlet obstruction-induced rat models, the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and collagen ratios have been shown to be increased. Increased TGF-β leads to fibrosis. In this study, the effect of omega-3 and interferon alpha-2b (IFN α-2b) was investigated on oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis in bladder structure in a partial bladder outlet obstruction (PBOO) rat model.
Methods: A total of 35 male Wistar albino rats, weighing 300-350 g, were used in the study. The rats were randomly divided into five groups. At the end of the experimental period, bladders were harvested from all the rats, and pathological analysis of the rat bladder tissues was performed. In addition, investigations were carried out with enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems to study the antioxidant properties of omega-3 fatty acid and IFN alpha-2b.
Results: Increased bladder weight in the PBOO group, in comparison to the control group, was decreased by the administration of omega-3 and IFN α-2b (P=0.002). Significantly higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were detected in group 2 in comparison to the control group. It was also detected that serum SOD, glutathione peroxidase and nitric oxide (NO) levels were significantly higher in group 2 when compared to the control group (P<0.05). In the pathologic evaluation, group 2 showed significantly increased inflammation and fibrosis compared to the control group. Omega-3 treatment significantly decreased inflammation. It was shown that IFN α-2b application partially decreased inflammation.
Interpretation & conclusions: The results of the present study showed that in addition to the standard primary approaches to prevent the damage to the upper urinary tract secondary to PBOO, omega-3 fatty acid and IFN α-2b could be beneficial as adjunct treatment in clinical practice. However, this needs to be further investigated with prospective, randomized clinical trials with larger sample sizes.