Protective Effect of Palmitoylethanolamide in a Rat Model of Cystitis

Abstract

The current study provides strong evidence for a protective role of PEA as well as an alteration in bladder levels of PEA and of some of its targets in cyclophosphamide induced cystitis.

Bladder telemetry: A new approach to evaluate micturition behavior under physiological and inflammatory conditions

“…Moreover, the voiding pattern after CYP treatment was dramatically modified with a low voided volume per void. A correlation between the increase in number of voids and bladder pain/sensation was reported but without evaluation of urodynamics . With our model, the bladder reflex was not stimulated by an artificial mechanical filling but by a more physiological one via the kidneys.…”

Endocannabinoids

“…Apart from being a lipid mediator co-released with anandamide from membrane phospholipids, PEA is a safe plant-derived compound presently marketed as a food component for special medical purposes to alleviate bowel or bladder complaints. Notably, PEA exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects in the gut when given orally and exerts anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions in experimental models of cystitis (Pessina et al 2015). Finally, animal studies have clearly shown that non-psychotropic cannabinoids exert beneficial effects in experimental models of inflammatory bowel disease Romano et al 2013) and colon cancer Romano et al 2014).…”

“…In these models of bladder inflammation, the pharmacological action of PEA was attributed to activation of CB 2 -like receptors, since it was counteracted by the selective CB 2 receptor antagonist SR144528. In more recent years, it has been shown that PEA is elevated in experimental models of cystitis induced by cyclophosphamide (Pessina et al 2015) or acrolein, a cyclophosphamide metabolite (Merriam et al 2011). More importantly, in the cyclophosphamide model of cystitis, PEA attenuated pain behavior, bladder inflammation, and voiding dysfunction with mechanisms involving CB 1 receptors and PPARα (Pessina et al 2015).…”

This Month in Investigative Urology

“…Pessina et al (page 1401) from Italy tested whether the pathophysiology of experimental cystitis involves changes in the levels of PEA and some of its targets, ie cannabinoid (CB) 1 and 2 receptors, and PPARa, and whether exogenously administered PEA could be a preventive measure for cystitis. 4 They induced cystitis by cyclophosphamide in female rats. Nociceptive responses, voiding episodes, gross damage, myeloperoxidase activity, bladder weight, bladder PEA and endocannabinoid levels, and PEA target expression were recorded.…”