Regeneration of the Bladder after Subtotal Cystectomy in Rats

Abstract
Regeneration of the bladder of Sprague-Dawley rats was studied. In 50 animals, a subtotal cystectomy was performed; the animals were sacrificed at weekly intervals up to two months. Regeneration of the bladder occurred in 48 animals. The bladder capacity was approximately 50% of normal at 8 weeks. It is suggested that expansion and growth originates from the vesicle neck region and that mechanical force may be a causative factor for regeneration and growth of the bladder.