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Are sham‐operated mice a valid comparator in studies using a bladder outlet obstruction model? A pitfall reveals a meaningful insight
Author(s) -
Kitta Takeya,
Hattori Tsuyoshi,
Chiba Hiroki,
Higuchi Madoka,
KannoKakibuchi Yukiko,
Ouchi Mifuka,
Togo Mio,
AbeTakahashi Yui,
Michishita Mai,
Kitano Tatsuya,
Kusakabe Naohisa,
Shinohara Nobuo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of urology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.172
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1442-2042
pISSN - 0919-8172
DOI - 10.1111/iju.14460
Subject(s) - urination , medicine , bladder outlet obstruction , real time polymerase chain reaction , sham surgery , urology , urinary system , surgery , anesthesia , pathology , biology , biochemistry , prostate , cancer , alternative medicine , gene
Objective To evaluate voiding behavior characteristics in intact and sham mice, and to examine whether intact mice show changes in “normal” micturition with aging. Methods A total of 72 8‐week‐old mice were divided into two groups – intact and sham – and the latter group was subjected to a sham of partial bladder outlet obstruction surgery. Urination frequency was evaluated (through metabolic cages) at 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months after the surgery (or at the equivalent time points for the intact mice). To address possible mechanisms for aging and surgical effects on urinary behavior, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction assays were carried out. Primary data were evaluated using scatter plots and descriptive statistics. Results In sham mice, urination frequency showed strong variation at the earlier post‐surgical time points (especially at 1 month), with variation decreasing with time. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction showed that the serotonin 2C receptor‐encoding mRNA accumulated to >28‐fold higher levels at 24 months compared with 3 months in intact mice. A major limitation of the quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction experiments was that we did not separate whole bladder into muscle and mucosa. Conclusions Although a sham operation is typically used in partial bladder outlet obstruction experiments to provide control animals, the sham group might itself show increased variation in micturition frequency at early times after surgery, compared with intact animals.