Experimental Animal Models for IC/BPS

AbstractPurpose of ReviewInterstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a disease that causes bladder symptoms such as pelvic pain and frequent urination and is often an intractable disease affecting a patient ’s quality of life. The etiology of IC/BPS remains elusive, and treatment strategies are still not fully established. To better understand the underlying pathophysiology, many studies have strived to recreate an animal model of IC/BPS to help further expand the treatment options of this difficult disease.Recent FindingsBasic animal studies of IC/BPS have often been conducted by provoking inflammation in the bladder, which is useful at least in part due to the similarity of the pathophysiology to profound inflammatory responses in IC/BPS, especially in the Hunner lesion subtype. Also, other animal models such as bladder stimulation models, pelvic organ cross-sensitization models, autoimmune models, and psychological stress models have been explored and shown various new outsights. However, the predicted underlying etiology of IC/BPS is complex often with a combination of inflammation, ischemia, and neurogenic changes, which makes it challenging for researchers to translate the results in animal models to clinical applications.SummaryEach animal model that is containing a piece of the underlying etiology of IC/BPS cannot be obtained alone, but by forming a picture by using each piece adequately will enable us to expand the horizon of the unexplored pathophysiol...
Source: Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports - Category: Urology & Nephrology Source Type: research