RWTH University-Hospital Aachen

3 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Medicine

Bile Duct Ligation in Mice: Induction of Inflammatory Liver Injury and Fibrosis by Obstructive Cholestasis

Carmen G. Tag¹, Sibille Sauer-Lehnen¹, Sabine Weiskirchen¹, Erawan Borkham-Kamphorst¹, René H. Tolba², Frank Tacke³, Ralf Weiskirchen¹

¹Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, ²Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Experimental Surgery, RWTH Aachen University, ³Department of Medicine III, RWTH Aachen University

Disruption of bile flow results in severe inflammatory cholestatic liver injury with a characteristic time-dependent sequence of morphological alterations. Here we present a protocol for the surgical ligation of the common bile duct in mice that allows to induce a strong fibrotic response after 21 to 28 days.

Immunology and Infection

Long Term Intravital Multiphoton Microscopy Imaging of Immune Cells in Healthy and Diseased Liver Using CXCR6.Gfp Reporter Mice

Felix Heymann^*1, Patricia M. Niemietz^*1, Julia Peusquens¹, Can Ergen¹, Marlene Kohlhepp¹, Jana C. Mossanen¹, Carlo Schneider¹, Michael Vogt², Rene H. Tolba³, Christian Trautwein¹, Christian Martin⁴, Frank Tacke¹

¹Department of Medicine III, RWTH University-Hospital Aachen, ²IZKF Aachen Core Facility "Two-Photon Imaging", RWTH University-Hospital Aachen, ³Institute for Laboratory Animal Science & Experimental Surgery, RWTH Aachen University, ⁴Institute for Pharmacology, RWTH University-Hospital Aachen

Stable intravital high-resolution imaging of immune cells in the liver is challenging. Here we provide a highly sensitive and reliable method to study migration and cell-cell-interactions of immune cells in mouse liver over long periods (about 6 hours) by intravital multiphoton laser scanning microscopy in combination with intensive care monitoring.

Immunology and Infection

Assessment of the Cytotoxic and Immunomodulatory Effects of Substances in Human Precision-cut Lung Slices

Vanessa Neuhaus^*1, Olga Danov^*1, Sebastian Konzok¹, Helena Obernolte¹, Susann Dehmel¹, Peter Braubach², Danny Jonigk², Hans-Gerd Fieguth³, Patrick Zardo⁴, Gregor Warnecke⁴, Christian Martin⁵, Armin Braun^1,6, Katherina Sewald¹

¹Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), Member of REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence, ²Institute for Pathology, Hannover Medical School, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), ³Division of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Klinikum Region Hannover (KRH), ⁴Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery (HTTG), Hannover Medical School, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), ⁵Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, RWTH Aachen University, ⁶Institute for Immunology, Hannover Medical School

In view of the 3Rs principle, respiratory models as alternatives to animal studies are evolving. Especially for risk assessment of respiratory substances, there is a lack of appropriate assays. Here, we describe the use of human precision-cut lung slices for the assessment of airborne substances.