Int Neurourol J.  2022 Mar;26(1):26-30. 10.5213/inj.2142182.091.

Assessment of Bacterial Communities Within the Biofilm of Bladder Calculi in the Neurogenic Bladder Rat Model Following Spinal Cord Injury

• Lee JW
• Lee SS
• Yang SH
• Choe HS

• KMID: 2528263
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5213/inj.2142182.091

Abstract

Purpose
To develop a rat model of bladder calculi in the neurogenic bladder following spinal cord injury (SCI) and assess bacterial communities within the biofilm of bladder calculi using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE).
Methods
The silk tied to a small segment of the Teflon IV catheter was implanted through the urethra into the bladder of rats with SCI induced by T9 laminectomy. After 6 months, the rats were sacrificed and their bladder calculi were collected by opening the bladders through the low-midline incision. Genomic DNA was extracted from the biofilm of bladder calculi followed by DGGE to obtain bacterial DNA. The DNA sequences were compared and analyzed using BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) to identify bacteria.
Results
After placing silk nidus in the bladder for 6 months, all 6 rats developed bladder calculi. According to DGGE analysis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most dominant strain, while Clostridium sp. and Lactobacillus sp. were relatively dominant strains within the biofilm of bladder calculi in the rats with SCI.
Conclusions
DGGE analysis showed various microorganisms in the biofilm of calculi arising from a neurogenic bladder rat model. This research design can be the basis for clinical studies and may be applied to calculi in patients with neurogenic bladder following SCI.

Keyword

Bladder calculi; Neurogenic bladder; Biofilm; Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; Rat model