Effects of gestational hyperglycemia and gestational urinary incontinence on rectus abdominis muscle: extracellular matrix, protein expression and ultrastructure

Diabetes mellitus during pregnancy is associated with high levels of urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction (PFMD). Our academic research group "Diabetes and Pregnancy - Clinical and Experimental" of the Botucatu Medical School, UNESP since 2004, has held a several translational research in this area. However, there are still some doubts about the direct relationship between gestational hyperglycemia, IU and PFMD. Considering the important participation of the abdominal muscles in the urinary continence mechanisms, our hypothesis is that patients with mild gestational hyperglycemia have changes in muscle function, as the important morphological alterations found in experimental models and, therefore, try to explain the high rates of UI and DMAP in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of hyperglycemia and gestational UI on the Collagen type I and III, protein expression MHC I, MHC IIa, MHC IIx/d, CnA and CnB and ultrastructure of the rectus abdominis muscle at the time of cesarean section. And with these results allow for effective therapeutic intervention with consistent pathophysiological basis. The statistical analysis, and the choice by comparison tests between variables and groups, will be implemented respecting the conditions determined by the results, characteristics and behavior of the variables. (AU)