Combined estrogen and ghrelin administration restores number of blood vessels and collagen type I/III ratio in the urethral and anal canal submucosa of old ovariectomized rats

Abstract

We compare the effects of estrogen and/or ghrelin on vascular counts and collagen I/III ratio of urethral and anal canal submucosa in old vs young-adult ovariectomized rats. Ovariectomized Fisher 344 rats (18 and 3 months old, n = 24 x 2) received 42 daily intraperitoneal 17-ss estradiol (10 microg/kg), ghrelin (2 microg/kg), both, or vehicle (n = 6 x 4 per group). Blood vessel counts and collagen I/III ratio were measured, respectively, by light microscopy and Western blot analysis with immunohistochemistry of ghrelin receptors. Estrogen significantly increased urethral and anal vascular counts and collagen I/III ratio in young-adult rats. In old rats, only combined estrogen/ghrelin administration significantly increased both variables. This was not observed with estrogen or ghrelin separately. Ghrelin receptors were immunostained in urethral and anal submucosa of all samples. Combined estrogen/ghrelin administration restored postovariectomy urethral and anal canal submucosal vessel number and collagen I/III ratio in old rats suggesting independent ageing effect.

Estrogen improves TIMP-MMP balance and collagen distribution in volume-overloaded hearts of ovariectomized females

“…The increase of collagen type III in response to estrogen administration was found in hearts of aged and Dahl salt-sensitive rats (8,61). Similar estrogenic effects on collagen III were demonstrated in the arteries and other tissues of ovariectomized animals (7,10,15,24,36,47). The mechanisms of enhanced collagen type III expression due to estrogen treatment are still unknown, but they are likely related to the changes in MMPs and TIMPs expression that we Fig.…”

Changes in connective tissue in patients with pelvic organ prolapse—a review of the current literature

“…Several studies report an increase in the mRNA expression for collagen I and III in estrogen replacement therapy [30,73,74]. These findings suggest that estrogen increases the turnover of connective tissues of the pelvic floor.…”

Ageing of the female pelvic floor: towards treatment a la carte of the “geripause”

“…This is accompanied by considerable interest in the contemporary biomedical literature, in particular, about the prevalence, detrimental effects, and management of support-related pelvic floor dysfunction (pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, and fecal incontinence) in the geripausal population. There seems to be no consensus, however, whether the exact underlying mechanism is normative ageing, falling circulating estrogen levels caused by menopausal ovarian failure, or a combination of both factors [3][4][5][6][7][8][9].It is widely believed that estrogen deprivation at the climacteric is primarily responsible for support-related pelvic floor dysfunction in geripausal women. This assumption is based on the detection of estrogen receptors in the components of continence-maintaining and supportive pelvic floor structures in premenopausal women and experimental animals [3][4][5][6].…”

“…There seems to be no consensus, however, whether the exact underlying mechanism is normative ageing, falling circulating estrogen levels caused by menopausal ovarian failure, or a combination of both factors [3][4][5][6][7][8][9].…”

“…This is accompanied by considerable interest in the contemporary biomedical literature, in particular, about the prevalence, detrimental effects, and management of support-related pelvic floor dysfunction (pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, and fecal incontinence) in the geripausal population. There seems to be no consensus, however, whether the exact underlying mechanism is normative ageing, falling circulating estrogen levels caused by menopausal ovarian failure, or a combination of both factors [3][4][5][6][7][8][9].…”