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Real-Time Void Spot Assay
Published on: February 10, 2023
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Void spot assay procedural optimization and software for rapid and objective quantification of rodent voiding
Kyle A Wegner1,2, Lisa L Abler1,3, Steven R Oakes1,3
1George M. O'Brien Center for Benign Urologic Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, and University of Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts.
American Journal of Physiology. Renal Physiology
|July 5, 2018
Summary
A new software tool, Void Whizzard, standardizes mouse urinary spot assay analysis. It objectively quantifies voiding patterns, revealing mouse genetics significantly impact results more than assay methods.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Animal Models
- Software Development
Background:
- Mouse urinary behavior analysis is crucial for understanding voiding dysfunction.
- Current methods for mouse urinary spot assay (VSA) lack standardization, hindering cross-study comparisons.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel software tool, Void Whizzard, for objective and consistent analysis of VSA data.
- To establish Void Whizzard as an expedited method for VSA analysis and evaluate VSA methodological parameters.
Main Methods:
- Development of Void Whizzard, a free FIJI/ImageJ plugin for batch processing and data extraction from VSA images.
- Multi-institutional validation using control and obese diabetic mice to model urinary dysfunction.
- Evaluation of VSA parameters' influence on voiding behavior and quantification of overlapping void spots.
Main Results:
- Void Whizzard enables rapid, objective, and consistent analysis of VSA data, including complex overlapping spots.
- Mouse genetics were found to be a more significant determinant of VSA outcomes than assay design parameters.
- Procedural modifications to reduce overlapping spots did not mask underlying genetic differences in voiding patterns.
Conclusions:
- Void Whizzard advances the standardization of mouse urinary phenotyping.
- The software facilitates comprehensive urinary phenome analyses.
- Standardized VSA analysis is critical for reliable research into voiding dysfunction and potential therapies.
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