Figure 1.

Oxidative stress is regulated by the balance between pro-oxidative and antioxidative factors. In partial bladder outlet obstruction (PBOO), repeated ischemia/reperfusion lead to excessive oxidative stress and increased inflammation due to an imbalance in these factors. Such pathological conditions stimulate abnormalities in transcription and cell-survival-related factors, which cause pathological changes in bladder tissues, such as denervation and increasing fibrosis and apoptosis in muscles. In turn, such oxidative stress-induced biological and histological changes in the bladder promote an imbalance in pro-oxidative and antioxidative factors. Finally, this vicious cycle that begins with cyclic ischemia/reperfusion in PBOO leads to further urinary dysfunction.