Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

The contractile properties of vaginal myofibroblasts: Is the myofibroblasts contraction force test a valuable indication of future prolapse development?

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Urogynecology Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using a specific myofibroblast contraction test, we try to predict future utero-vaginal prolapse development in young primiparae women. We compare myofibroblast cultures of the vaginal wall in primiparae women (group 1), young multiparae women (group 2) and older multiparae women (group 3) who were operated on for severe utero-vaginal prolapse. A myofibroblast-mediated collagen gel contraction assay determined a contraction factor that was compared in the three groups of women. The myofibroblasts contraction factor after 24 and 48 hours was significantly higher in group 1 women (2.4 ± 0.6/4.4 ± 1.9) compared to group 2 (1.6 ± 0.3/ 1.8 ± 0.1) andgroup 3 (1.6 ± 0.3/1.8 ± 0.3), but showed no differences in group 1 women without (2.1 ± 0.5/3.5 ± 1.9) and with (2.7 ± 0.6/5.1 ± 1.7) cystocoele. Vaginal myofibroblasts of young women show better contraction forces than young women with severe utero-vaginal prolapse. The latter have a myofibroblast contraction factor similar to those of older post-menopausal women operated for the same condition.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Swift SE (2000) The distribution of pelvic organ support in a population of female subjects seen for routine gynecologic health care. Am J Obstet Gynecol 183:277–85

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Samuelsson EC, Arne Victor FT, Tibblin G, Svardsudd KF (1999) Signs of genital prolapse in a Swedish population of women 20 to 59 years of age and possible related factors. Am J Obstet Gynecol 180:299–305

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Fry CH, Brading AF, Hussain M, Lewis SA, Takeda M (2005) Cell biology. In: Abrams P, Cardozo L, Khoury S, Wein A (eds) Incontinence, volume 1, Basics & evaluation. Health Publication, Paris, pp 313–362

    Google Scholar 

  4. Poncet S, Meyer S, Richard C, Aubert JD, Juillerat-Jeanneret L (2005) The expression and function of the endothelin system in contractile properties of vaginal myofibroblasts of women with uterovaginal prolapse. Am J Obstet Gynecol 192:426–432

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Swift S (2002) Current opinion on the classification and definition of genital tract prolapse. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 14(5):503–507

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Lee YR, Oshita Y, Tsuboi R, Ogawa H (1996) Combination of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and IGF-binding protein promotes fibroblast-embedded collagen gel contraction. Endocrinology 137:5278–5283

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. O’Boyle AL, Woodman PJ, O’Boyle JD, Davis GD, Swift SE (2002) Pelvic organ support in nulliparous pregnant and nonpregnant women: a case control study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 187:99–102

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Mant J, Painter R, Vessey M (1997) Epidemiology of genital prolapse: observations from the oxford family planning association study. Brit J Obstet Gynecol 104:579–585

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Moalli PA, Klingensmith WL, Meyn LA, Zyczynski HM (2002) Regulation of matrix metalloproteinase expression by estrogen in fibroblasts that are derived from the pelvic floor. Am J Obstet Gynecol 187:72–79

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Arnold EP, Burgio K, Diokno AC, Herzog AR, Mallet VT (1998) Epidemiology and natural history of urinary incontinence. In: Abrams P, Khoury S, Wein A (eds) Incontinence: 1st international consultation on incontinence. Plymbridge Distributors, Plymouth, pp 165–202

    Google Scholar 

  11. Chiaffarino F, Chatenoud L, Dindelli M, Meschia M, Buonaguidi A et al (1999) Reproductive factors, family history, occupation and risk of urogenital prolapse. Eur J Obstet Gynecol & Reprod Biol 82:63–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Meyer S, Schreyer A, De Grandi P, Hohlfeld P (1998) The effects of birth on urinary continence mechanisms and other pelvic floor characteristics. Obstet Gynecol 92:613–618

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Wong MY, Harmanli OH, Agar M, Dandolu V, Grody MH (2003) Collagen content of nonsupport tissue in pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. Am J Obstet Gynecol 189:1597–1599

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Goepel C, Hefler L, Methfessel HD, Koelbl H (2003) Periurethral connective tissue status of postmenopausal women with genital prolapse with and without stress incontinence. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 82:659–664

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Chen BH, Wen Y, Li H, Polan ML (2002) Collagen metabolism and turnover in women with stress urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse. Int Urogynecol J 13:80–87

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Visco AG, Yuan L (2003) Differential gene expression in pubococcygeus muscle from patients with pelvic organ prolapse. Am J Obstet Gynecol 189:102–112

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Chen BH, Wen Y, Zhang Z, Wang H, Warrington JA et al (2003) Menstrual phase-dependent gene expression differences in periurethral vaginal tissue from women with stress incontinence. Am J Obstet Gynecol 189:89–97

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Hinz BG, Gabbiani G (2003) Mechanisms of force generation and transmission by myofibroblasts. Curr Opin Biotechnol 14:538–546

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Tomasek JJ, Gabbiani G, Hinz B, Chaponnier C, Brown RA (2002) Myofibroblasts and mechanoregulation of connective tissue remodeling. Nature Rev Mol Cell Biol 3:349–363

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Dugina V, Alexandrova A, Chaponnier C, Gabbiani G (1998) Rat fibroblasts cultured from various organs exhibit differences in alpha-smooth muscle actin expression, cytoskeletal pattern, and adhesive structure organization. Exp Cell Res 238:481–490

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Serini G, Gabbiani G (1999) Mechanisms of myofibroblast activity and phenotypic modulation. Exp Cell Res 250:273–283

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflicts of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Meyer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Meyer, S., Achtari, C., Hohlfeld, P. et al. The contractile properties of vaginal myofibroblasts: Is the myofibroblasts contraction force test a valuable indication of future prolapse development?. Int Urogynecol J 19, 1399–1403 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-008-0643-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-008-0643-6

Keywords

Navigation