Animal models and their use in understanding lower urinary tract dysfunction.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Comparative Medicine
• Translational Research

Background:

• Lower urinary tract disorders (LUTDs) present significant challenges due to largely idiopathic pathophysiology.
• Current animal models often utilize acute injury, which may not accurately represent chronic human conditions.
• The relevance of acute injury models for identifying therapeutic targets in chronic LUTDs is questionable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and highlight appropriate animal models for studying LUTDs.
• To discuss the limitations of acute injury models in representing chronic visceral disorders.
• To evaluate the merits and disadvantages of various animal models for specific LUTDs.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on existing animal models for LUTDs.
• Comparative analysis of acute versus chronic injury models.
• Discussion of specific conditions including overactive bladder, stress urinary incontinence, and bladder pain syndrome.

Main Results:

• Acute injury models may not fully capture the complexity of chronic LUTDs.
• Chronic or specifically designed models are often necessary for accurate investigation.
• Various models exist for conditions like overactive bladder, stress urinary incontinence, and bladder pain syndrome.

Conclusions:

• Careful selection of animal models is crucial for advancing the study of LUTDs.
• Models should aim to replicate chronic aspects of human disease for translational relevance.
• Further development of chronic and condition-specific animal models is warranted.