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Urinary stone animal model

Urinary stone animal model

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Urolithiasis
Psychiatric & neurological disease models

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Model Introduction

Model Introduction

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Platform Service Advantages

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Urolithiasis

Introduction to Animal Models of Urinary Tract Stones

Urolithiasis is a common disorder of the urinary system, primarily resulting from the abnormal deposition of crystals such as calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, or uric acid. It can lead to urinary tract obstruction, inflammatory responses, and renal dysfunction, and is characterized by a high recurrence rate. Animal models of urolithiasis can reliably replicate key pathological processes, including crystal formation, crystal deposition, tubular injury, and inflammation–oxidative stress, providing crucial experimental evidence for elucidating the mechanisms underlying stone formation, investigating the interplay between crystal regulation and renal damage, and developing novel preventive and therapeutic strategies. As such, these models serve as indispensable tools for basic research on urolithiasis and for the discovery and development of innovative therapeutics.

Service Advantages of the Aniphe BioLab Urinary Stone Animal Model Platform

Leveraging mature modeling technologies and a robust evaluation framework, we provide a high-quality experimental platform for research into the mechanisms of urinary tract stones and for the development of innovative therapeutics.

Comprehensive model coverage

Mature Modeling Techniques

Classic induction methods, such as ethylene glycol plus ammonium chloride, yield stable and highly reproducible models.
Standardization of the modeling process

Multidimensional pathological assessment

Supports multi‑parameter analysis, including crystal deposition, renal tissue injury, and inflammation.
Multidimensional Evaluation System

Comprehensive pharmacological efficacy testing

Includes assays for urinary biochemistry, renal function, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers.
Adaptable to multi-cycle studies

One-stop technical services

We offer a comprehensive end-to-end solution encompassing modeling, drug administration, sample collection, pathological analysis, and data statistical analysis.
Standardization of Data Delivery

Extensive project experience

It meets the diverse research needs of anti‑urolithiasis drug screening, mechanistic studies, and preclinical efficacy evaluation.
Modeling cycle

2-3 weeks

1  Laboratory animals

Mice, rats, rabbits, and miniature pigs

1  Positive drug

Potassium citrate, tamsulosin hydrochloride, allopurinol, and hydrochlorothiazide are commonly used as positive controls, exerting anti‑stone effects by inhibiting crystal formation, promoting stone passage, and modulating urinary composition.

1  Application areas

It is primarily used for studying the pathogenesis of urinary tract stones, screening anti‑stone and stone‑expelling agents, evaluating the efficacy of nephroprotective drugs, and conducting preclinical research on innovative therapeutic strategies.

 

Construction of an Animal Model of Urinary Tract Stones

A rat–mouse model is established by administering ethylene glycol in combination with ammonium chloride. Ethylene glycol is metabolized to oxalate, while ammonium chloride acidifies the urine, promoting the deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys and urinary tract. Urinary calculi can develop within 2–3 weeks. This method is simple to perform and yields a stable model, making it widely used for studies on underlying mechanisms and for evaluating the efficacy of therapeutic agents.

Potassium citrate treatment data

The control group served as a normal, non‑modelled对照; the renal stone group was an untreated stone‑forming model; and potassium citrate constituted the positive drug‑treatment group. The data clearly demonstrate that potassium citrate can improve urinary lithogenic biochemical parameters in the stone‑forming animal model.

 

 

The overall differences in creatinine, uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen levels among the three groups were statistically significant. Compared with the potassium citrate group, the renal stone group exhibited significantly elevated levels of all three renal function markers (P<0.05), suggesting that the stone-forming process induces renal dysfunction. In the normal control group, all measured parameters were markedly lower than those in the renal stone group. Following potassium citrate intervention, serum renal function biomarkers in the rats decreased, and renal function improved substantially, thereby confirming the protective effect of potassium citrate against renal damage induced by kidney stones.

 

 

Chi-square analysis revealed that the distribution of Tamm–Horsfall protein expression intensity in renal tissues among the three groups was statistically significant (χ² = 21.093, P < 0.001). In the control group, the protein exhibited strong (+++) expression; in the nephrolithiasis group, its expression was markedly reduced, with most samples showing only weak (+) staining; following potassium citrate treatment, the overall intensity of protein expression increased, suggesting that potassium citrate can reverse the downregulation of Tamm–Horsfall protein induced by stone formation and elevate the levels of this protective protein, thereby exerting an anti‑nephrolithiasis effect.