Dietary glycine improves urine storage symptoms in urology outpatients

Kimio Sugaya; Hitoshi Oh-Oka; Tetsuo Yamada; Masanobu Miyata; Katsuhiro Ashitomi; Katsumi Kadekawa; Saori Nishijima

doi:10.1515/jcim-2020-0282

Article

Dietary glycine improves urine storage symptoms in urology outpatients

Kimio Sugaya , Hitoshi Oh-Oka , Tetsuo Yamada , Masanobu Miyata , Katsuhiro Ashitomi , Katsumi Kadekawa and Saori Nishijima

Published/Copyright: April 1, 2021

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From the journal Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Volume 18 Issue 3

Abstract

Objectives

Spinal glycinergic mechanisms inhibit the micturition reflex, and administration of glycine inhibits bladder activity in rats. Therefore, we examined whether dietary glycine would improve storage symptoms in urological outpatients.

Methods

We enrolled 20 participants (16 men and four women) with an overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) ≥ 3. All participants took 3 g of glucose (placebo) twice a day for the first four weeks, then 3 g of glycine twice a day for the next four weeks. We evaluated blood pressure, international prostate symptom score (IPSS), nocturia quality of life (N-QOL) score, OABSS, frequency of urination, sleep latency, time to first nighttime void, bladder pain, global self-assessment (GSA) evaluated urinary symptom improvement, and adverse events.

Results

Glucose administered as a placebo improved urinary frequency, urine force on the IPSS, and five of the 13 items on the N-QOL. However, compared to the results before and after glucose administration, glycine treatment decreased the number of nocturnal voids, urgency, and total score for urine storage items on the IPSS. It also reduced blood pressure and improved IPSS-QOL. For the OABSS, improvements with glycine were noted in the number of nocturnal urinations, urinary urgency, urge incontinence, and total score. For the N-QOL, eight of 13 items, and the total score, improved. The actual number of nighttime urinations, sleep latency, latency to first nighttime urination, bladder pain, and GSA also improved. There were no adverse events.

Conclusions

Glycine might improve urine storage symptoms, cardiovascular function, pain, and sleep.

Keywords: chronic prostatitis; glycine; interstitial cystitis; overactive bladder; urine storage symptoms

Corresponding author: Kimio Sugaya, MD, PhD, Southern Knights’ Laboratory, 1-1-823 Miyagi, Chatan, Okinawa, 904-0113, Japan, Phone: +81 98 989 7739, Fax: +81 98 989 7739, E-mail: sugaya@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp

Research funding: None declared.
Author contributions: Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Competing interests: No funding organizations played a role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.
Ethical approval: This experiment was carried out in accordance with the ethical protocol of Faculty of Science, Tanta University with code No.REC-SCI-TU-27.

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Received: 2020-07-24

Accepted: 2020-08-31

Published Online: 2021-04-01

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2020-0282

Keywords for this article

chronic prostatitis; glycine; interstitial cystitis; overactive bladder; urine storage symptoms