Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026
An Orthotopic Model of Murine Bladder Cancer
Published on: February 6, 2011
Establishment of an optimized orthotopic bladder cancer model in mice
Jinming Cai1, Zhiwen Xie1, Yilin Yan1
1Department of Urology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, No. 85 Wujin Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Background:
Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignancies of the genitourinary system. Animal models offer an important tool to explore tumour initiation, progression, and therapeutic mechanisms. Our aim is to construct an optimized orthotopic BC model which is predictable, reproducible, and convenient.
Methods:
The optimized orthotopic BC model was constructed in male C57BL/6 mice utilizing microsyringes to inoculate them with a murine BC cell line (MB49). Anesthetised mice were inoculated with an MB49 cell suspension (10 µL) at approximately 5 × 106/mL. The whole process of modelling was observed and monitored every 3 days for 21 days utilizing HE staining and transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS).
Results:
In this study, the model showed excellent success rates for tumour formation (96.67%) and metastatic rate (89.66%). Compared to the control group (sham operation), mice in the modelling group had serous cachexia, visible haematuresis and weight loss (all P < 0.05). The lungs, liver, ureter and kidneys were found to have tumour metastasis. Moreover, the average survival time (19.73 ± 1.69 d) of modelling mice was significantly shorter than that of the control mice (P < 0.05), which remained alive.
Conclusion:
Our study established a method using microsyringes to inject murine BC cells into the bladder wall, creating a stable transplantable BC model in mice.
