Objective      To establish an experimental rabbit model of urethral stricture using selfmade electric coagulation under direct urethroscopic visualization. Methods      Eighteen adult male New Zealand rabbits were random divided into control (n=8) and experimental groups (n=10). All rabbits underwent retrograde urethrography and transurethral endoscopy with a F9 urethroscope after intramuscular anesthetic injection. A self-made electric coagulation instrument was adopted to inflict the urethral bulb in all rabbits from the experimental group under direct visualization. The rabbits of the control group was only given by urethroscopic examination. In 30 d after surgery

all animals were evaluated with retrograde urethrography

urethroscopy

HE and Masson staining. Results        A rabbit model of urethral stricture was successfully established

and no animals died during the process of experiment. In 30 d postoperatively

typical stricture (inner diameter: 1.69±0.28 mm; stricture length: 16.93±2.82 mm) was observed in the urethral bulb of all rabbits from the experiment group 100% (10/10). Histological examination showed a normal urethra and no fibrosis hyperplasia in the controls

while stripped and missed epithelia in the urethral stricture and obviously fibrosis hyperplasia accompanied by fibroblasts in submucosal tissue in the experimental group. Conclusion       A rabbit model of urethral stricture is successfully established using self-made electric coagulation under direct urethroscopic visualization

with the advantages of easy to operate

accurate and high success rate

which providing an ideal object for the research concerning urethral strictures.