Intravesical Application of Rebamipide Promotes Urothelial Healing in a Rat Cystitis Model

Purpose: Rebamipide is used as a topical therapeutic agent for various organs. We examined the healing effects of intravesical rebamipide on damaged urothelium in a rat model of chemically induced cystitis.Materials and Methods: Hydrochloride was injected in the bladder of female Sprague Dawley® rats to induce cystitis. On days 1 and 4 rebamipide (1 or 10 mM) or vehicle was administered in the bladder and maintained for 1 hour. Histopathology, urothelial permeability, cystometrogram and nociceptive behaviors were evaluated on day 7. Also, tissue rebamipide concentrations after the 1-hour bladder instillation were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography.Results: Intravesically administered rebamipide permeated the bladder, particularly in hydrochloride treated rats, and the pharmacologically effective tissue dose remained for greater than 6 hours. Bladder histological evaluation revealed polymorphological inflammatory cell infiltration and decreased positive staining for uroplakin 3A in hyd...