Comparative evaluation of antioxidant reactivity within obstructed and control rabbit urinary bladder tissue using FRAP and CUPRAC assays

Partial urinary bladder outlet obstruction mediates cyclic ischemia and reperfusion resulting in the generation of both reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species. It is theorized that with an increase in the level of free radicals, the level of protective antioxidants should decrease. To test this hypothesis, two electron transfer assays, the FRAP method and the CUPRAC method, were used to determine the level of antioxidant reactivity of obstructed and control bladder tissue. The results showed that the CUPRAC assay detected a significant decrease in the reactivity of antioxidants found within the obstructed bladder tissue as compared to the control bladder tissue in both the muscle and mucosa. The FRAP assay did not detect any difference between the muscle and mucosa of the obstructed and control bladder tissue.