How Do Uroprotectants Work?

Uroprotectants are a class of drugs used as a prophylactic agent to reduce the risk of hemorrhagic cystitis (a condition that causes inflammation of the bladder and can result in severe bleeding) which is a very serious side effect of treatment with ifosfamide (cancer chemotherapy medication). 

Mesna is the only drug that belongs to this drug class. Mesna helps to minimize damage to the epithelium of the urinary tract and protect the lining of the bladder against damage from ifosfamide, a urotoxic chemotherapy medication.

Ifosfamide is broken down to a harmful product called “acrolein” by the body and accumulates in the bladder. Mesna forms a conjugate with acrolein and other urotoxic metabolites which inactivates the urotoxic compounds to harmless metabolites.

Uroprotectants are administered via injectable and oral routes, typically two to six hours after chemotherapy treatment.

Uroprotectants belong to a class of medications called "cytoprotectants" that work by protecting the bladder against some of the harmful effects of chemotherapy medications.

Uroprotectants are used to prevent ifosfamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis.

Some of the common side effects include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Anorexia (lack or loss of appetite)
• Abdominal pain
• Asthenia (abnormal physical weakness or lack of energy)
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Back pain
• Injection site reaction
• Tiredness/weakness

Other rare side effects include:

• Dizziness 
• Fatigue 
• Fever
• Anemia (low red blood cell count)
• Granulocytopenia (decreased granulocyte count)
• Thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet count)
• Alopecia (unpredictable, patchy hair loss)
• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Insomnia (trouble falling and/or staying asleep)
• Tachycardia (a heart rate over 100 beats per minute)
• Cough
• Chest pain
• Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
• Hematuria (blood in the urine)
• Hypokalemia (low blood potassium level)
• Rash/hives/itching

Information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible side effects, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure these drugs do not cause any harm when you take them along with other medicines. Never stop taking your medication and never change your dose or frequency without consulting your doctor.

Generic and brand names of uroprotectants include:

• Mesna
• Mesnex