Urine can speed up the re-epithelialization process of prostatic urethra wounds by promoting the proliferation and migration of prostate epithelial cells

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to investigate the influence of urine on re-epithelialization in canine prostatic urethra after prostatectomy and explore possible causes. METHOD: We established two groups of prostatic canine models. The first group contained urine that canines underwent the surgery by two-micron laser resection of the prostate-tangerine technique (TmLRP-TT), and no transurethral catheter was required. The second group was without urine that canines accepted the surgery by TmLRP-TT add ureter skin ostomy urine bypass. Histopathology of re-epithelialization of repair in trauma in canine prostatic urethra was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and immunochemistry was used to determine the expression of transforming growth factor-β(1) (TGF-β(1)). Human prostate epithelial line (BPH-1) cells were cultured with or without urine and the abilities of proliferation and migration were tested by CCK-8 and transwell assays, respectively. RESULTS: The histology displayed that there was distinct proliferation of prostatic cell under the wound after 3 days, re-epithelialization began after 9 days, and finished after 28 days at urine group. The TGF-β1 like-IR in prostatic epithelium cells and fibroblast cells under the wound at urine group were strikingly increased as compared with the cells at no urine group after 3, 9, and 11 days, respectively (p < 0.05). In CCK-8 and Transwell assays, an increase of cells’ proliferation and migration was detected in urine culture group compared with no urine culture group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Urine may speed up the re-epithelialization process for prostatic urethra wounds by promoting proliferation and migration of prostate epithelial cells.