The use of autologous skeletal muscle - derived cells as a sling in the treatment of stress-induced urinary incontinence : an experimental study in dogs

Abstract Purpose:This is an experimental preclinical study testing the applicability of autologous skeletal muscle-derived cells as a treatment of SUI in a canine model.Methods:Ten mongrel dogs were included in this study. Skeletal muscle was harvested for biopsy in 4 dogs. One month later, incontinence was induced in 8 dogs through urethrolysis. Biopsied muscle cells were incubated and expanded for 8 weeks. Muscle-derived cells were collected and covered with a polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffold immersed in culture medium and coated with Matrigel to be used as a sling, which was placed suburethrally in 8 dogs; 4 had cell seeding, and 4 had scaffolds only. Urethral pressure (UP) measurements were performed at baseline and 2 & 6 weeks after sling insertion. The urethra was harvested 4 weeks after sling insertion for histopathology.Results:UP showed an increase in maximum urethral pressure during static measurement in all dogs with a scaffold inserted. The increase ranged from 5–40 cmH2O. Histopathology showed significant periurethral proliferation of skeletal muscles in 4 dogs with cell-seeded scaffolds. These levels were the maximum levels in dogs # 1 & 2. This was not the case in the 4 dogs that had slings only.Conclusion:The use of skeletal muscle-seeded PGA scaffolds is a practical technique with preserved histological differentiation integrity in a canine model.