Urodynamic evaluation of female cats with idiopathic cystitis

Abstract

Objective To compare values of urodynamic measurements of cats with idiopathic cystitis (IC) with previously published data for healthy female cats. Animals 11 female cats with IC. Procedures 2 sequential cystometrograms and 2 urethral pressure profiles were obtained for each cat. All tracings were evaluated for evidence of overactive urinary bladder (OAB). Maximum urethral pressure (MUP), maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP), and functional profile length were recorded. Results Only 3 cats had obvious micturition events. None of the 11 cats had evidence of OAB. Although not significant, threshold pressure was lower in cats with IC than in healthy cats (mean ± SD, 89.0 ± 12.0 cm H2O vs 75.7 ± 16.3 cm H2O, respectively); however, the total volume infused was significantly lower in cats with IC (4.8 ± 2.1 mL/kg vs 8.3 ± 3.2 mL/kg). The MUCP was significantly higher in cats with IC than in healthy cats (158.0 ± 47.7 cm H2O vs 88.9 ± 23.9 cm H2O, respectively). The MUP was also significantly higher in all portions of the urethra in cats with IC. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance No evidence of OAB was identified in any cat evaluated; therefore, medications used to target this abnormality did not appear justified. The high MUCP in cats with IC suggested that α1-adrenoceptor antagonists or skeletal muscle relaxants may be useful in this disease, and if these data were applicable to male cats, then α1-adrenoceptor antagonism may help prevent recurrent obstructive IC. Further studies are indicated to determine the effects, if any, these drugs might have in cats with IC.

Understanding feline idiopathic cystitis

“…Increased sensitivity of mucosal muscarinic receptors (Ikeda and others 2009), although no evidence of an overactive bladder (Wu and others 2011) ;…”

“…Propantheline: This anticholinergic has been proposed to help with urge incontinence associated with FIC, but in fact there is no evidence that FIC is associated with an overactive bladder (Wu and others 2011). One short-term controlled study of propantheline did not demonstrate any benefit (Barsanti and others 1982).…”

The effect of prazosin on outcome in feline urethral obstruction

“…In the single experimental study investigating urethral pressures in 6 anesthetized male cats with naturally occurring UO, investigators found that baseline urethral pressures following urinary catheter placement were not significantly different from control cats, which suggests that urethral spasm (or increased urethral pressure) plays a minor role in the pathogenesis of the UO . However, in a more recent report that evaluated anesthetized female cats, maximal urethral closure pressures in both the skeletal and smooth muscle portions of the urethra were higher in cats with a history of idiopathic cystitis compared to historical controls . This led the study investigators to conclude that the use of α‐1 antagonists and/or skeletal muscle relaxants may be useful in the prevention of UO if their study results were directly translatable to male cats with lower urinary tract disease …”

“…9 This led the study investigators to conclude that the use of ␣-1 antagonists and/or skeletal muscle relaxants may be useful in the prevention of UO if their study results were directly translatable to male cats with lower urinary tract disease. 9 Recently, several reports have evaluated risk factors for rUO in cats. In one retrospective study, 10 the administration of prazosin rather than phenoxybenzamine was associated with a reduced rUO rate.…”

Stability of the Acetic Acid-Induced Bladder Irritation Model in Alpha Chloralose-Anesthetized Female Cats

“…Behavioral, urodynamic, and/or electrophysiological techniques have been used for understanding LUT physiology and pharmacology in conscious [4–8], alpha chloralose-anesthetized [9–19], normal adult [9,17,20–23] and neonatal cats [6,24]. Models of overactive bladder (OAB) [8,11,25,26], stress urinary incontinence (SUI) [10,27], spinal cord injury [7,28–30], and interstitial cystitis [18,31] have also been developed and/or studied in the cat. Many acute OAB [8,11,25,26] and SUI [10,27] models frequently employ bladder irritation, commonly using dilute acetic acid (0.25-0.5%).…”