Detrusor regeneration in the rat using porcine small intestinal submucosal grafts: functional innervation and receptor expression.

PURPOSE: To evaluate functional characteristics of regenerated bladder induced by small intestinal submucosa (SIS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Strips from bladder regenerated from SIS and normal rat bladder were evaluated by in vitro muscle bath contractility studies. RESULTS: The present results indicate that SIS-regenerated bladder 1) demonstrates contractile activity; 2) expresses muscarinic, purinergic and beta adrenergic receptors; and 3) exhibits functional cholinergic and purinergic innervation that is similar to the normal rat urinary bladder muscle. CONCLUSIONS: These functional characteristics of SIS-regenerated tissue demonstrated in the present study further support use of SIS material as a bladder augmentation material.