AKI
Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)
Polymicrobial sepsis with septic acute kidney injury, the clinically closest model of sepsis-associated AKI.
Background and rationale
Ligation and puncture of the cecum causes a polymicrobial peritonitis with the haemodynamic and inflammatory features of clinical sepsis. Kidney injury develops with limited tubular necrosis but marked microvascular and metabolic dysfunction, making the model valuable for therapies targeting sepsis-associated AKI.
Typical study design
- Severity titrated by needle gauge, number of punctures and ligated cecal length
- Standardised fluid resuscitation and analgesia; antibiotics optional to mimic clinical care
- Predefined humane endpoints with clinical scoring at fixed intervals
- Survival or fixed-timepoint designs
Readouts
- Plasma creatinine, BUN, cystatin C and lactate
- Urinary NGAL and Kim-1
- Clinical severity score, temperature and body weight
- Histology with AI-assisted assessment and immune cell immunohistochemistry
- Luminex and Olink cytokine profiling
- Renal perfusion by ultrasound and in vivo imaging
Interested in this model?
We will walk you through severity levels, group sizes, dosing windows and endpoints, and propose a design matched to your compound.