Impact of parity on ewe vaginal mechanical properties relative to the nonhuman primate and rodent.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction and hypothesis

Parity is the leading risk factor for the development of pelvic organ prolapse. To assess the impact of pregnancy and delivery on vaginal tissue, researchers commonly use nonhuman primate (NHP) and rodent models. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ewe as an alternative model by investigating the impact of parity on the ewe vaginal mechanical properties and collagen structure.

Methods

Mechanical properties of 15 nulliparous and parous ewe vaginas were determined via uniaxial tensile tests. Collagen content was determined by hydroxyproline assay and collagen fiber thickness was analyzed using picrosirius red staining. Outcome measures were compared using Independent samples t or Mann-Whitney U tests. ANOVA (Gabriel's pairwise post-hoc tes

SUBMITTER: Knight KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5201171 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature