Rodent models of ketamine-induced cystitis.

Aims: Long-term or recreational use of ketamine affects the urinary system and can result in ketamine-induced cystitis (KIC). Rodent models of KIC are important to study KIC pathophysiology and are paramount to the future development of therapies for this painful condition. This review aims to provide a summary of rodent models of KIC, focusing on disease induction, experimental methods, and pathological features of the model.

Method: A literature search was performed using the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Pubmed database up to March 2021. 20 articles met the inclusion criteria and were finally selected.

Results: There are considerable variations in the rodent models used for studying KIC in terms of the strain of the animal being used; dose, duration, and route of ketamine administration to induce KIC, and assessment of pathological features.

Conclusion: KIC remains difficult to fully recapitulate in humans. Improved characterization of KIC models and the experimental parameters and meticulous discussion on translational limitations are required to improve the translational value of research using rodent models of KIC.