The present study investigated the similarities between rodent and human urothelial carcinogenesis models using DNA content, p53 and Ki-67 immunoexpression as surrogate markers of bladder carcinogenesis. Following N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine exposure, 49 human cystectomy specimens of bladder cancer and 53 rat bladder specimens were studied. All of the tumours and adjacent mucosa present in each specimen were evaluated. High similarities were observed between the rodent urothelium carcinogenesis process and the corresponding process in humans, in regards to the histopathological features and biological alteration profile: DNA aneuploidy, p53 overexpression and high proliferative index measured by Ki-67 immunoexpression. Despite these similarities, a higher frequency of alterations was observed in earlier stages in the rat chemical-induced carcinogenesis, namely in 5c aneuploid cells, p53 overexpression and higher Ki-67 labelling index. These results confirm that this experimental animal model is a suitable and reproducible model of bladder carcinogenesis, particularly in regards to high-risk non-invasive and invasive urothelial carcinomas. These features mandate its use in the identification of new molecular targets and evaluation of tumour response to new cytotoxic drugs or drug combinations in bladder cancer therapeutic intervention.