ELECTROMOTIVE DRUG ADMINISTRATION TO THE URINARY-BLADDER - AN ANIMAL-MODEL AND PRELIMINARY-RESULTS

Purpose: Electromotive drug delivery (EMDA) is the use of an electrica l field to enhance penetration of ionized drugs into local tissues. In traurinary EMDA may be of value in the treatment of various pathologic al conditions involving the urinary bladder, prostate gland and urethr a. We have developed an animal model to study this hypothesis. Materia ls and Methods: Anesthetized adult mongrel dogs were studied. An intra vesical anode was inserted through a Foley catheter into the urinary b ladder. Two patch electrodes were positioned on the animals' abdominal skin. Both skin and intravesical electrodes were attached to a direct current generator. The bladder was then distended with an anionic blu e dye (methylene blue). Fifteen milliamperes (15 mA) pulsed direct cur rent was applied for 40 minutes. After EMDA, the bladder was surgicall y removed and representative sections of full thickness bladder wall w ere immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. Methylene blue was used to visually demonstrate EMDA-enhanced anion penetration into bladder subm ucosa and muscularis. Result: This experimental model demonstrates sig nificant submucosal and muscularis methylene blue penetration in the p resence of the electric field. Conclusion: Electromotive drug delivery technology may have applications for treating bladder pathology.