Assessment of bladder microcirculation and quantification of bladder wall elasticity

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K09213
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56030:Urology-related
• Research Institution: National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology
• Principal Investigator: Nomiya Masanori 国立研究開発法人国立長寿医療研究センター, 病院, 医長 (00398348)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 吉田 正貴 国立研究開発法人国立長寿医療研究センター, 病院, 副院長 (20201858) ; 西井 久枝 国立研究開発法人国立長寿医療研究センター, 病院, 医師 (80506345)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 虚血 / 膀胱 / 下部尿路症状 / 加齢

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Chronic bladder ischemia is potentially a common cause of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in the elderly. In clinical practice, however, there are no convenience and reproducible biomarkers or unified measurement of bladder blood flow that reflect the severity of LUTS induced by bladder ischemia. Therefore, we investigated the association between bladder structural changes (mucosal microvascular changes and trabeculation as an indicator of fibrosis formation of the bladder), bladder blood flow and severity of LUTS in the elderly. The present study showed that the decreased vascularization and the reduction of blood flow in the bladder may be an important contributing factor in the development of LUTS in the elderly.
The prevention and improvement of bladder circulation may be a possible therapeutic target in the development of LTUS in the elderly.

Free Research Field

排尿生理・薬理

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

レーザードプラ血流計（非接触プローブ）を用いた膀胱粘膜血流の評価法は、高齢患者にも侵襲少なく有用な検査法と思われる。膀胱微小循環を評価することにより、高齢者の下部尿路機能障害の病態解明、下部尿路症状の診断および治療効果の判定にも応用できると考える。つまり、下部尿路機能障害の領域に、これまでになかった血管保護と血流改善をターゲットとした新たな診断治療法を提案できる。