Biochemical background of Feline Idiopathic Cystitis

Abstract

Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) is one of the most common disorders in feline veterinary praxis with different combinations of symptoms such as hematuria, stranguria, dysuria, periuria, pain and hypersensitivity during urination. In case of the occurrence of petechial hemorrhages of bladder submucosa of symptomatic cats detectable by cystoscopy, the disease is referred as interstitial cystitis. This name also reflects the similarities in symptoms and pathogenesis to human interstitial cystitis (IC). The exact cause and pathogenesis of the disease are widely studied; however not yet fully understood. FIC is considered as a multifactorial disease, based on a complex interaction between the urinary bladder, adrenal glands, nervous- and immune system and the environment. It is strongly suggested that stress may have an important role in the history of FIC, so the examination of this factor is essential to have a more accurate understanding of the development of the disease. Therefore, the first main goal of the present thesis was to establish a novel, wellcharacterized primary uroepithelial cell culture from feline origin which contains differentiated urothelial cells and could serve as a proper tool for studying the biochemical background of FIC in vitro, especially focusing on the pathological role of the main regulatory stress hormone norepinephrine (NE) in the pathomechanism of FIC.