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Complicated urolithiasis in a Long Evans rat

Lab Animal volume 42, pages 417–420 (2013)Cite this article

A 7-week-old, male Long Evans rat (Taconic, Germantown, NY), weighing 200 g, was introduced to our facility on 8 March 2012. Upon its arrival, we determined that the rat was healthy based on its history and initial physical examination. The health surveillance report that accompanied the rat indicated that this animal was free from common rodent pathogens.

Our facility is accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International, and all animals at our facility are maintained in accordance with accepted animal care and use standards1. We allowed the rat to acclimate to its new environment after its arrival. The rat was single-housed in a standard polycarbonate rodent cage (Micro-isolator, Lab Products, Inc, Seaford, DE) that contained CareFresh bedding (Absorption, Bellingham, WA) and was fitted with a stainless-steel wire lid. Cages were changed weekly. We provided the rat with extra bedding material and PVC tubes for environmental enrichment. The room was maintained on a 12-h:12-h light:dark cycle, with a temperature of 68–79 °F (20.0–26.1 °C), a relative humidity of 30–70% and at least 10–15 air changes per h of HEPA-filtered air. We gave the rat ad libitum access to rat chow (22% protein, 5% fat and 5% fiber; Lab Diet Prolab RMH 3000, 5P00; PMI Nutrition International, Brentwood, MO) and water via an automated water system (Lixit Animal Care Products, Napa, CA). All animal handling and husbandry procedures were done by trained personnel.

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Figure 1: Urinary bladder, right (top) and left (bottom) ureters and kidneys.
Figure 2: Section of left kidney, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, shows multifocal to coalescing inflammation and necrosis.
Figure 3: Section of left kidney, stained with Brown and Hopps, shows multifocal to coalescing inflammation and necrosis, with necrotic tubules containing luminal bacterial colonies (arrowheads).

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Acknowledgements

We thank Bartholomew Taylor for the photography, Rex Hartzoge (Comparative Pathology Branch, WRAIR/NMRC) for the histologic preparations and Robert Sims and Mathew Wise (Diagnostic Pathology Branch, WRAIR/NMRC) for the microbiology and additional photography. This material has been reviewed by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. There is no objection to its presentation and/or publication. The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the author, and are not to be construed as official, or as reflecting true views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.

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  1. Veterinary Services Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research/Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD

    Gwynne E. Kinley,  Julie K. Fitzgerald &  Paul R. Facemire

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  1. Gwynne E. Kinley
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Correspondence to Julie K. Fitzgerald.

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Kinley, G., Fitzgerald, J. & Facemire, P. Complicated urolithiasis in a Long Evans rat. Lab Anim 42, 417–420 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban.286

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