Electroacupuncture protects against bladder dysfunction induced by acute urinary retention via TRPV1/ATP signaling pathway: An animal and human research study.

Electroacupuncture (EA) can protect against acute urinary retention (AUR); however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Non-vesicular ATP release mediated by transient receptor potential (TRP) channels were identified as a key contributor to signaling in urothelial cells. In this study, the AUR model was established by urethral outlet obstruction in female Sprague-Dawley rats. EA was performed at SP6 and BL32 for 0.5 h prior to induction of AUR. EA reduced TRPV1 expression and urinary ATP concentrations in rat bladder, decreased the peak intravesical pressure during AUR, and attenuated abnormal voiding patterns and bladder pathological injury induced by AUR. Besides, 179 patients who experienced postoperative urinary retention were recruited and found that EA reduced urinary ATP concentrations and accelerated the recovery of spontaneous voiding. These observations indicate that EA exerts protection against AUR-induced bladder dysfunction by reducing urinary ATP concentrations through the regulation of TRPV1.