Patient-derived Tumor Xenografting: A Technique to Generate Experimental Mouse Model for Evaluating Urothelial Cell Carcinoma

To prepare the animal for UCC cell injection, use hair removal cream to shave the lower back of a 6- to 8-week old female NOD/SCID mouse. To administer UCC cells into the bladder, first, set up a monopolar electrocautery machine to a power of 4 watts. After anesthetizing the mouse, place it in supine position with its snout in an isoflurane nose cone and bare back firmly grounded on a dispersive electrode.

Lubricate a 24-gauge angiocatheter with lubricating jelly and then insert the angiocatheter gently but firmly through the mouse urethra. If catheter bends on entry, insert guide wire halfway into catheter to provide stability. Then, fully insert the 0.64-millimeter fixed core straight guidewire 1-millimeter past the end of the angiocatheter.

Hold the monopolar pin to the guidewire for 1 second, allowing for electrical irritation of the bladder mucosa. Attach a fresh sterile angiocatheter to 1-milliliter Luer-Lok syringe and draw up to 200 microliters of UCC cells. Remove guide wire and angiocatheter from the urethra and then insert angiocatheter with syringe of cells attached to it.

Inject 50 microliters of the cells to the mouse bladder, and to allow the cells to adhere to the bladder wall, wait a few seconds before removing the angiocatheter. Finally, remove the mouse from isoflurane nose cone and grounding pad and observe it for 1 hour following procedure for signs of distress.