International Journal of General Medicine
Fructose-Induced Bladder Remodeling: Histopathological Evidence from an Experimental Rat Model
By Mehmet Ergül and Volkan Sabur.
Abstract
Background
High-fructose diets have been associated with metabolic and lower urinary tract abnormalities, but direct histopathological evidence and the tissue changes observed after fructose withdrawal remain incompletely characterized. This study evaluated the impact of high-fructose exposure on bladder histopathology and related urinary biochemical alterations in a rat model.
Methods
Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly allocated to three groups (n=8 each): control, fructose withdrawal, and continuous fructose exposure. The withdrawal group received a 60% fructose solution and fructose-rich diet for 4 weeks, followed by standard chow and tap water for 2 weeks, whereas the continuous-exposure group received fructose for 6 weeks. At week 6, a single 24-hour urine sample was collected, and bladder tissue was evaluated by blinded semiquantitative histopathological scoring. One-way ANOVA with Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons, Kruskal–Wallis testing, Jonckheere-Terpstra trend testing, and Spearman correlation were used as appropriate.
