ascorbic-acid and Urinary-Incontinence

Whether lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), including voiding, storage, and urinary incontinence, are affected by dietary micronutrients is uncertain.. To test the hypothesis that carotenoid, vitamin C, zinc, and calcium intakes are associated with LUTS and urinary incontinence in women.. During an observational, cross-sectional, population-based epidemiologic study of 2060 women (30-79 yr of age) in the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) survey (2002-2005), data were collected by validated food frequency questionnaire and in-person interviews and analyzed using multivariate regression.. LUTS, storage, and voiding symptoms were assessed using the American Urological Association Symptom Index (AUASI) and a validated severity index for urinary incontinence.. Women who consumed high-dose vitamin C from diet and supplements were more likely to report storage symptoms, especially combined frequency and urgency (≥ 500 vs < 50mg/d; odds ratio [OR]: 3.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.44-8.12). However, greater consumption of dietary vitamin C or β-cryptoxanthin was inversely associated with voiding symptoms (p(trend) ≤ 0.01). Both dietary and supplemental calcium were positively associated with storage symptoms (eg, supplement ≥ 1000 mg/d vs none; OR: 2.04; 95% CI, 1.35-3.09; p(trend)=0.0002). No consistent associations were observed for β-carotene, lycopene, or other carotenoids, although smokers using β-carotene supplements were more likely to report storage problems. Whether the observed associations represent direct causes of diet on LUTS is uncertain.. High-dose intakes of vitamin C and calcium were positively associated with urinary storage or incontinence, whereas vitamin C and β-cryptoxanthin from foods and beverages were inversely associated with voiding symptoms. Results indicate that micronutrient intakes may contribute to LUTS in dose-dependent and symptom-specific ways. Further study is needed to confirm these findings and their relevance to clinical treatment decisions.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Ascorbic Acid; Boston; Calcium; Carotenoids; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dietary Supplements; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Logistic Models; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urinary Bladder; Urinary Incontinence; Urodynamics; Zinc

Engraftment of muscle-derived cells (MDCs) into the urethral sphincter may cure urinary incontinence. However, poor cell survival after injection prompted us to evaluate whether 24-h preincubation with sodium ascorbate (ASC) or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) prior to cell transfer improves the survival of MDCs facing oxidative stress in vitro. We examined MDCs isolated from female rats for the presence of myogenic markers and for the ability to differentiate and respond to growth factors. Isolated cells were positive for desmin, M-cadherin, and myogenin. The fusion index exceeded 29%, and Akt kinase was phosphorylated at Ser473 residue upon exposure to insulin-like growth factor 1 (100 ng/ml). We then autologously transplanted MDCs transfected with lacZ marker gene into urethral wall of the rats; 2 wk later, the urethra and caudal wall of the urinary bladder were harvested from these animals. Serial cryosections revealed that transplanted cells formed multinuclear clusters at injection sites. In addition, we found that the viability of MDCs exposed to a cytotoxic concentration of H2O2 was higher after preincubation with 0.1 mM ASC (2.6-fold), 10 ng/ml bFGF (2.9-fold), or 20 ng/ml bFGF (3.5-fold) than that after exposure to H2O2 only. We conclude that preincubation with ASC or bFGF increases the resistance of MDCs to oxidative stress in vitro. Pretreatment with either agent might be used to enhance survival of MDCs after transplantation.

Topics: Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Cell Survival; Female; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; Hydrogen Peroxide; In Vitro Techniques; Lac Operon; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal; Oxidative Stress; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Transfection; Transplantation, Autologous; Urethra; Urinary Incontinence