Anatomical features of the urethra and urinary bladder catheterization in female mice and rats. An essential translational tool.
OBJECTIVE
To present fundamental anatomical aspects and technical skills necessary to urethra and urinary bladder catheterization in female mice and rats.


METHODS
Urethral and bladder catheterization has been widely utilized for carcinogenesis and cancer research and still remains very useful in several applications: from toxicological purposes as well as inflammatory and infectious conditions to functional aspects as bladder dynamics and vesicoureteral reflux, among many others.


RESULTS
Animal models are in the center of translational research and those involving rodents are the most important nowadays due to several advantages including human reproducibility, easy handling and low cost.


CONCLUSIONS
Although technical and anatomical pearls for rodent urethral and bladder access are presented as tackles to the advancement of lower urinary tract preclinical investigation in a broaden sight, restriction to female animals hampers the male microenvironment, demanding future advances.
Department of Urology, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil. reisleo@unicamp.br
Leonardo Oliveira
LO
Reis
Josep Maria Gaya
JM
Sopena
Wagner José
WJ
Fávaro
Mireia Castilho
MC
Martin
Antônio Felipe Leite
AF
Simão
Rodolfo Borges dos
RB
Reis
Murilo Ferreira de
MF
Andrade
Josep Domingo
JD
Domenech
Carlos Cordon
CC
Cardo
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008488:Medical Illustration; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D014521:Urethra / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*