UUO Model – Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction
Rodent model for renal fibrosis and Chronic Kidney Disease drug screening
Unlock the anti-fibrotic potential of your compounds with our Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction (UUO) model, performed in both mice and rats. UUO reproduces the key pathological hallmarks of Chronic Kidney Disease, interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, and inflammatory cell infiltration, in a fast, reproducible 1–2 week study window.
Why Choose Our UUO Model?
- Proven Efficacy: Consistently reliable results, validated for first proof-of-concept in kidney fibrosis.
- Mouse & rat flexibility: Performed in C57Bl/6J mice or Sprague-Dawley rats, matched to your study design and compound requirements.
- Optimized test duration: 1-2 weeks, streamlining in vivo screening without compromising accuracy.
- Comprehensive analysis: Histopathology, biochemistry, and gene expression profiling from a single cohort.
Study Design & Protocol
| Group | Species | Procedure | Treatment | Duration | n / group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sham | Mouse or rat | Sham surgery | Vehicle | 7–14 days | 8 |
| UUO + Vehicle | Mouse or rat | Unilateral ureteral ligation | Vehicle | 7–14 days | 10 |
| UUO + Reference compound | Mouse or rat | Unilateral ureteral ligation | Reference antifibrotic | 7–14 days | 10 |
| UUO + Test compound(s) | Mouse or rat | Unilateral ureteral ligation | Test article, dose-ranging | 7–14 days | 10 per dose |
Table 1. Representative UUO study design (adaptable per protocol). Group sizes, duration, and endpoints are adapted to your compound and hypothesis.
Mouse Model
C57Bl/6J
Standard strain for UUO studies offering the widest published literature for benchmarking fibrosis endpoints and compatibility with transgenic lines on request.
Rat Model
Sprague-Dawley
Larger tissue and blood volumes to support expanded multi-parametric readouts per animal, useful when sample-hungry endpoints are part of your study design.
Assay readouts
| Category | Readout / Marker | Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Histopathology | Interstitial fibrosis quantification | Sirius Red staining |
| Collagen deposition | Masson’s Trichrome staining | |
| Tubular atrophy / injury | H&E staining | |
| Fibrosis markers | α-SMA (myofibroblast activation) | IHC / Western blot / qPCR |
| TGF-β1 expression | Gene expression (qPCR) / Dosage (ELISA) | |
| Fibronectin | IHC / Gene expression (qPCR) | |
| Inflammatory | Inflammatory cell infiltration | IHC (F4/80, NFkB) |
Frequently Asked Questions – UUO Model
The Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction (UUO) model is a well-established preclinical tool used to study renal fibrosis and chronic kidney disease (CKD). It reliably reproduces key pathological features including tubulointerstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, and inflammatory cell infiltration, making it a gold-standard model for evaluating antifibrotic drug candidates.
NEPHRIX Biosolutions performs the UUO model in C57Bl/6J mice and Sprague-Dawley rats, allowing flexibility depending on your study design and compound requirements.
The UUO model has a test duration of 1 to 2 weeks, making it one of the fastest in vivo fibrosis models available for early-stage compound screening.
Our UUO model provides a comprehensive set of readouts including histopathology (Sirius Red, Masson’s Trichrome), fibrosis markers (α-SMA, collagen deposition), inflammatory markers, and gene expression profiling (TGF-β1, fibronectin). Biochemical analyses are also available upon request.
Yes. The UUO model is widely used for first proof-of-concept (PoC) evaluation of antifibrotic compounds. Its rapid progression and well-characterized endpoints make it ideal for early-stage drug development and Go/No-Go decisions.