Rat: overview and innervation.
Despite the development of molecular and cellular methods for examining physiological processes, the use of the whole animal model remains essential to advance knowledge regarding the integration and coordination of events associated with urinary tract function. The rat offers an inexpensive and versatile species to investigate bladder and urethral responses to drugs or pathology. Models for many disorders have been developed in rodents including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease, bladder outlet obstruction, pain, and aging. This review examines methodologies to evaluate lower urinary tract function and manipulations used to create pathological models in rodents.
Department of Urology, University of Virginia, Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville 22908.
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D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D003714:Denervation; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000150:complications; D051381:Rats / Q000502:physiology; D001748:Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology; D014551:Urinary Tract / Q000294:innervation*; D014553:Urinary Tract Physiological Phenomena; D014554:Urination / Q000502:physiology; D014570:Urologic Diseases / Q000209:etiology