Morphological examination of the effects of defibrotide on experimentally induced bladder injury and its relation to interstitial cystitis

This morphological study aims to investigate the effects of defibrotide, a deoxyribonucleic acid derivative drug with cytoprotective, immuno suppressi ve and vasorelaxant effects, on protamine sulfate induced bladder injury. W istar albino female rats were catheterized and intravesically infused with phosphate buffered solution (control group) or, either protamine sulfate (b ladder injury group) or protamine sulfate+defibrotide (bladder injury+defib rotide group) dissolved in phosphate buffered solution. The morphology of t he urinary bladder was investigated using light and electron microscopy. Th e number of mast cells in the mucosa, mucosal alterations, intercellular ju nctions, surface topography and the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) layer as well a s microvillus formation on the luminal surface were evaluated. In the bladd er injury group, ulcerated areas, irregularity of the GAG layer, increased number of mast cells, vacuole formation, dilated perinuclear cistern, forma tion of pleomorphic and uniform microvilli and dilatations in the intercell ular spaces in the urothelium were observed. In the bladder injury+defibrot ide group a relatively normal urothelial topography, GAG layer and a few ma st cells in the mucosa, some dilatations between the intercellular areas, l ess uniform microvilli, regular perinuclear cistern and tight junctions wer e observed. These results show that defibrotide can inhibit PS induced blad der damage.