Cause of hydronephrosis in mice

One of the pathological abnormalities observed incidentally in C57BL/6 mice, a mouse widely used in medical and biological experiments, as well as in many other inbred strains, is an abnormality of the kidney. One such abnormality is a hydronephrosis-like condition, in which the kidneys become dilated with urine. The causative genes and genetic predisposition are unknown. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence the development and progression of hydronephrosis, a disease caused by abnormal kidney function, by analyzing the physiological characteristics and gene expression in mice that develop hydronephrosis-like pathology at a high rate.