CKD
Unilateral ureter obstruction (UUO)
Rapid, highly reproducible model of renal fibrosis with an internal contralateral control.
Background and rationale
Ligation of one ureter causes obstructive nephropathy with tubular dilation, inflammation and myofibroblast expansion, producing established fibrosis within one to two weeks. Because the contralateral kidney remains untouched, each animal carries its own internal control, which reduces variability and group sizes for antifibrotic screening.
Typical study design
- Complete or reversible (relieved) obstruction depending on the question
- Sham surgery controls and blinded fibrosis analysis
- Short dosing windows suited to early proof-of-mechanism
- Paired analysis of obstructed and contralateral kidney
Readouts
- Sirius red and Masson fibrosis quantification with AI-assisted histology
- Collagen and myofibroblast immunohistochemistry (alpha-SMA, fibronectin)
- Hydroxyproline content
- Inflammatory cell profiling by multiplex immunofluorescence
- Bulk and single nuclei RNA sequencing, 10x spatial transcriptomics
- Kidney volume and hydronephrosis by ultrasound
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.