Murine Tail Lymphedema Model: An In Vivo Technique to Generate Sustained Lymphedema in Murine Tail

Lymphatic vessels are present in the skin dermis and their function is to remove excess interstitial fluid from the tissue. Damage to lymphatic vessels causes excess fluid accumulation in the interstitial space and an increase in subcutaneous deposition of fibrous and adipose tissue. These changes result in lymphedema.

To generate lymphedema in the murine tail, take an anesthetized mouse and place it in the prone position. Make a full-thickness circumferential skin excision at an appropriately distant site, distal to the base of the tail. Incise another site on the tail inferior to the first cut.

Make a vertical skin incision connecting the two pre-made incisions. Using this cut, excise the overlaying skin patch to expose the lateral veins and lymphatic vessels.

Take a syringe containing colored tracking dye and inject it subcutaneously near the end of the tail, making the lymphatic vessels appear blue. Transect the lymphatic vessels, wrap the wound site, and monitor the mouse for the desired time duration.

Microdissection arrests the flow of lymph in the vessels and fluid collects in tissue space. Consequently, sustained lymphedema is observed as swelling of the mouse tail dorsal to the surgical site.