Fig. 1

Collagen concentration in periurethral vaginal wall tissues and cultured vaginal fibroblasts from women with or without SUI. a Total collagen concentration measured as micrograms of hydroxyproline per milligrams of wet weight from urogenital tissues of women with SUI and in urologically healthy women. The results are the mean ± s.d. (n = 12 for each group). *P < 0.05. b The levels of Col1a1 in urogenital tissues of women with SUI and in urologically healthy women were analysed by qRT-PCR. **P < 0.01. c The expression of type I collagen in urogenital tissues was determined by a western blot assay. d The morphology of cultured vaginal fibroblasts in women with SUI (ii) and in urologically healthy women (i). e ɑ-SMA protein expression by immunofluorescence staining (green). Original scale bars = 50 μm. f The levels of Col1a1 in cultured vaginal fibroblasts from women with or without SUI were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The results are the mean ± s.d. (n = 3 for each group). *P < 0.05. g The expression of type I collagen in cultured vaginal fibroblasts was determined by a western blot assay. h The levels of TIMP-1, TIMP-2, TIMP-3, MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in fibroblasts from women with or without SUI were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The results are the mean ± s.d. (n = 3 for each group). CON control, MMP-1 matrix metallopeptidase 1, MMP-3 matrix metallopeptidase 3, MMP-9 matrix metallopeptidase 9, SUI stress urinary incontinence, TIMP-1 TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 1, TIMP-2 TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 2, TIMP-3 TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 3