This article details the dissection of the urogenital system (UGS) from a male mouse, highlighting the anatomical structures involved. The procedure includes isolating the prostate gland, seminal vesicles, and urinary bladder, providing a comprehensive guide for researchers.
The urogenital system, or UGS, includes the organs of the urinary and reproductive systems located in proximity to each other. The seminal vesicles, prostate gland, testis, and ductus deferens are parts of the reproductive system, while the urinary bladder and urethra are parts of the urinary system.
To isolate the prostate gland, begin by positioning a euthanized male mouse in the supine position on a surgical bed. Incise the abdominal skin and muscle layer. Continue to cut across the midline to expose the abdominal cavity.
Now, locate the fluid-filled urinary bladder. Use forceps to pull it up and lift the entire UGS from the mouse's abdomen. Use scissors to cut the tissues underlying the UGS, till the spine, to sever any connections to the abdominal cavity. Place the harvested UGS, dorsal side up, in dissecting media and observe it under the microscope.
Next, snip the bladder from its base to expose the underlying prostate gland. Invert the UGS to locate the two tube-like ductus deferens. Cut them from the base leaving behind the prostate, seminal vesicles, and urethra. Trace both semicircular seminal vesicles and incise them at their base. The resultant tissue contains the prostate lobes wrapped around the urethra.
After exposing the urogenital system, or UGS, firmly grasp the urinary bladder with medium blunt forceps and lift the entire system up from the mouse abdomen. Slide a pair of scissors under the bladder and prostate, all the way to the spine, to make an incision through the spinal cord, and cut through any remaining connections to the abdominal cavity to allow removal of the entire UGS.
Transfer the UGS to a 6-centimeter Petri dish containing 2 to 6 milliliters of PBS under a dissecting microscope, and use a pair of fine forceps and microdissection scissors to carefully clear all of the fat from both the dorsal and ventral sides of the tissue system without snipping any prostate tissue.
When all of the fat has been removed, pull the bladder with the forceps and excise the bladder at its base. Place the remaining tissue ventral side up, and holding one ductus deferens with the forceps, follow the vessel to its base with scissors and excise the vessel at its base.
Remove the same vessel on the other side, and insert the forceps between the seminal vesicles and prostate to allow snipping of any adjoining connective tissue as necessary. Then, trace the seminal vesicles to their base at the urethra and remove the vessels without puncturing them.
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