Purpose: the effects of corticosteroids on the female urinary tract are not well understood, specially in climacteric women with or without estrogen replacement therapy. We studied the effects of corticosteroids on the blood vessels and epithelium of the bladder and urethra of female rats. Method: fifty-four female rats were used, divided into five groups. Group I - ten castrated female rats; Group II - eleven castrated female rats which receivedintraperitoneally 15 mg/kg weight prednisolone, for 26 days; Group III - twelve castrated female rats which received the same amount of corticosteroid, during the same time, and subcutaneously 10 mg/kg 17 beta-estradiol, in the last five days before they were sacrificed; Group IV - eleven castrated rats which received placebo for 26 days; and Group V - no castrated female rats which received the same dose of corticosteroid during the same time as in Group II. Results: we observed an average of 1.8 vessels in the bladder of the castrated group which received corticosteroid, a similar number to that of those which received corticosteroid and estrogen, compared with 0.8 vessel in the placebo group. Regarding the urethra, 0.7 vessel was observed in the group which received corticosteroid, as compared with 0.9 vessel in the group treated with corticosteroid associated with estrogen and 0.4 in the placebo group. Regarding the mucous membrane, the vesical epithelium thickness of 14.1 mm in the placebo group increased to 20.6 mm in that with corticosteroid and to 22.6 mm in that with corticosteroid plus estrogen. The urethral epithelium thickness of 12.4 mm in the placebo group increased to 15.1 mm in the group with corticosteroid and to 16.7 mm in that with corticosteroid plus estrogen. Conclusion: corticosteroids significantly increased the vascularization and the thickness of the vesical and urethral epithelia of castrated female rats.
Urethra; Hormone therapy; Urinary incontinence
