Tissue mechanics determines tissue homeostasis, disease development and progression. Bladder strongly relies on its mechanical properties to perform its physiological function, but these are poorly unveiled under normal and pathological conditions. Here we characterize the mechanical fingerprints at the micro-scale level of the three tissue layers which compose the healthy bladder wall, and identify modifications associated with the onset and progression of pathological conditions (i.e., actinic cystitis and bladder cancer). We use two indentation-based instruments (an Atomic Force Microscope and a nanoindenter) and compare the micromechanical maps with a comprehensive histological analysis. We find that the healthy bladder wall is a mechanically inhomogeneous tissue, with a gradient of increasing stiffness from the urothelium to the lamina propria, which gradually decreases when reaching the muscle outer layer. Stiffening in fibrotic tissues correlate with increased deposition of dense extracellular matrix in the lamina propria. An increase in tissue compliance is observed before the onset and invasion of the tumor. By providing high resolution micromechanical investigation of each tissue layer of the bladder, we depict the intrinsic mechanical heterogeneity of the layers of a healthy bladder as compared with the mechanical properties alterations associated with either actinic cystitis or bladder tumor.

Micro-mechanical fingerprints of the rat bladder change in actinic cystitis and tumor presence / Martinez-Vidal, L.; Chighizola, M.; Berardi, M.; Alchera, E.; Locatelli, I.; Pederzoli, F.; Venegoni, C.; Luciano, R.; Milani, P.; Bielawski, K.; Salonia, A.; Podesta, A.; Alfano, M.. - In: COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY. - ISSN 2399-3642. - 6:1(2023). [10.1038/s42003-023-04572-0]

Micro-mechanical fingerprints of the rat bladder change in actinic cystitis and tumor presence

Pederzoli F.;Salonia A.;
2023-01-01

Abstract

Tissue mechanics determines tissue homeostasis, disease development and progression. Bladder strongly relies on its mechanical properties to perform its physiological function, but these are poorly unveiled under normal and pathological conditions. Here we characterize the mechanical fingerprints at the micro-scale level of the three tissue layers which compose the healthy bladder wall, and identify modifications associated with the onset and progression of pathological conditions (i.e., actinic cystitis and bladder cancer). We use two indentation-based instruments (an Atomic Force Microscope and a nanoindenter) and compare the micromechanical maps with a comprehensive histological analysis. We find that the healthy bladder wall is a mechanically inhomogeneous tissue, with a gradient of increasing stiffness from the urothelium to the lamina propria, which gradually decreases when reaching the muscle outer layer. Stiffening in fibrotic tissues correlate with increased deposition of dense extracellular matrix in the lamina propria. An increase in tissue compliance is observed before the onset and invasion of the tumor. By providing high resolution micromechanical investigation of each tissue layer of the bladder, we depict the intrinsic mechanical heterogeneity of the layers of a healthy bladder as compared with the mechanical properties alterations associated with either actinic cystitis or bladder tumor.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
s42003-023-04572-0.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: PDF editoriale (versione pubblicata dall'editore)
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 5.27 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
5.27 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11768/165635
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 6
  • Scopus 8
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 7
social impact