The analysis of the receptor of oxytosin and acetylcholine in the vagen tissue of women with apical prolapsus and the relation with sexual functions

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is defined as the lower level of the pelvic organs from their anatomical location. Although POP is not a life threatening disease, it significantly impairs the quality of life of patients and causes limitations in their work, family and sexual lives. Although the pathophysiology of pelvic organ prolapse is not fully known, genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a role. A significant reduction in the size of the smooth muscle cell nucleus was observed in the uterosacral ligament and vagina of POP patients.The role of oxytocin and acetylcholine in smooth muscle cells is also known. In our study, we thought that oxytocin and acetylcholine, whose effects on smooth muscles were tried to be demonstrated, may have a role in pelvic relaxation and their explanations in uterine support tissues may be related to prolapse. Sexuality is a biopsychosocial event, one of the most important parts of human life. Acetylcholine and oxytocin are involved in the physiological response to sexual stimulation in humans. In our study, we planned to find an effect on sexuality by looking at acetylcholine and oxytocin levels in POP patients. A total of 56 patients who were operated for benign gynecological reasons other than 29 POP were included in this study. Acetylcholine and oxytocin receptor analysis of the patients staged with the "pelvic organ prolapse quantification" (POPQ) system recommended by the International Continence Society (ICS) are investigated by immunohistochemical method, while the acetylcholine and oxytocin amounts of these tissues are Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay method was determined by. As a result of the study, there was no significant difference between acetylcholine and oxytocin receptors in POP and non-POP patients. However, sexual functions other than pain and arousal were observed to be better in non-POP patients. As the amount of acetylcholine and oxytocin increased, sexual function improvement was observed. Therefore, it was thought that acetylcholine and oxytocin may be a treatment option that can be used for improvement in sexual functions. Keywords: pelvic organ prolapse, vagina, acetylcholine, oxytocin, immunohistochemistry