ArticleNeurourology and urodynamics2020
A possible mechanism underlying mood disorders associated with LUTS: Chronic bladder outlet obstruction causes NLRP3-dependent inflammation in the hippocampus and depressive behavior in rats.
Article in Neurourology and urodynamics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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7 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparative study between female patients with functional dyspepsia accompanied by abnormal urinalysis and those with urinary tract infections: a retrospective case-control study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Anethole Ameliorates Scopolamine-Induced Memory Deficits and Neuronal Damage Through Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anticholinesterase Activities in Rats.Neurochemical research · 2025Article
- Why Are Some People with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) Depressed? New Evidence That Peripheral Inflammation in the Bladder Causes Central Inflammation and Mood Disorders.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Specialized pro-resolution mediators in the bladder: Receptor expression and recovery of bladder function from cystitis.Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.) · 2022Article
- Biological, Psychological, and Social Determinants of Depression: A Review of Recent Literature.Brain sciences · 2021Review
- Specialized proresolution mediators in the bladder: annexin-A1 normalizes inflammation and bladder dysfunction during bladder outlet obstruction.American journal of physiology. Renal physiology · 2021Article
- Mitigating Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Secondary to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Ameliorating Sexual Function and Psychological Well-Being in Older Men.American journal of men's healthArticle
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7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
aimsReports link urinary dysfunction and mood disorders, such as depression, but a causative mechanism has never been postulated. Contemporary discoveries demonstrate a local inflammatory response in peripheral organs can trigger inflammation in the brain, particularly the hippocampus, mediated through the NLRP3 inflammasome. Critically, central inflammation causes depressive behavior. Since bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) evokes a local inflammatory response in the bladder, we hypothesize it will induce NLRP3-dependent inflammation in the hippocampus and depressive behavior.
methodsThere were four groups of rats: control, sham, BOO, or BOO + glyburide (an NLRP3 inhibitor). BOO was created by urethral ligation over a 1 mm catheter. Sham was tied loosely. Glyburide was provided by slow-release pellet (subcutaneous 50 mg, 21 day, replaced as needed). Rats were analyzed 12 weeks post-op for: hippocampal inflammation, microglial density, neurogenesis, and depression symptoms (open field and sucrose preference).
resultsBOO elicited hippocampal inflammation, accompanied by an increase in activated microglia (22%) and a decrease in neurogenesis (35%), which was blocked by glyburide. In addition, BOO rats displayed anxiety (57% decrease in exploratory behavior in the open field assay) and anhedonia (21% decrease in sucrose preference), two symptoms of depression. Like inflammation, these symptoms were diminished by glyburide to levels not statistically significantly different from controls.
conclusionsBOO, a bladder-localized event, stimulates NLRP3-dependent inflammation in the rat hippocampus after 12 weeks and this inflammation causes depressive behavior. This is the first mechanistic explanation of the link between BOO and depression and provides evidence for a distinct bladder-brain axis.
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