NIDA, NIH, DHHS

3 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Neuroscience

Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) and Gene Expression Analysis of Fos-expressing Neurons from Fresh and Frozen Rat Brain Tissue

F. Javier Rubio^*1, Xuan Li^*1, Qing-Rong Liu¹, Raffaello Cimbro², Bruce T. Hope¹

¹Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, NIDA, NIH, DHHS, ²Division of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University

Here we present a Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) protocol to study molecular alterations in Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles from both fresh and frozen brain tissue. The use of frozen tissue allows FACS isolation of many brain areas over multiple sessions to maximize the use of valuable animal subjects.

Medicine

Targeting Gray Rami Communicantes in Selective Chemical Lumbar Sympathectomy

Wen-Hui Wang¹, Long Zhang^2,3, Guo-Xiang Dong², Jun Zhao², Xuan Li^2,3

¹Department of Dermatology, Peking University Third Hospital, ²Department of Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery, Peking University Third Hospital, ³Wound Healing Center, Peking University Third Hospital

We present a protocol for selective chemical lumbar sympathectomy (CLS), which inactivates only gray rami communicantes and not the sympathetic trunk. Selective CLS can help achieve therapeutic efficacy in vasodilation, sweat reduction, and pain relief that are comparable to conventional CLS, and serious complications, particularly ureteropelvic damages, can be reduced.

Biology

Surgically Induced Cardiac Volume Overload by Aortic Regurgitation in Mouse

Jian Wu^*1, Shijun Wang^*1, Le Kang^*1, Chunjie Yang^*1, Jianguo Jia¹, Xingxu Wang², Ge Wei¹, Xuan Li¹, Jieyun You², Yunzeng Zou¹

¹Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, ²Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University

This protocol presents a practical guide on the surgery for creation of aortic regurgitation (AR) in the mouse. Assessment of the AR mouse by echocardiography and invasive hemodynamic measurement recapitulates its clinically relevant characteristics of volume overload-induced eccentric hypertrophy, suggesting its promising application in the study of cardiac hypertrophy.