University of Colorado Denver

A murine model for ventilator induced lung injury is an important tool to study an acute lung injury in vivo. Here, we report an easy applicable in situ model for acute lung injury using high-pressure mechanical ventilation to induce acute failure of the lung.

A murine model for myocardial ischemia and ischemic preconditioning is an important tool study cardioprotective mechanisms in vivo. Here, we report an easy applicable in situ model for cardiac IP using a hanging-weight system for coronary artery occlusion.

A powerful model for perioperative and critical care related acute kidney injury is presented. Using whole body hypoperfusion induced by cardiac arrest it is possible to nearly replicate the histologic and functional changes of clinical AKI.

In this article we demonstrate the isolation of murine resident lung mesenchymal stem cells (lung MSC), their expansion, characterization and analysis of immunomodulatory properties.

The endothelial glycocalyx/endothelial surface layer is ideally studied using intravital microscopy. Intravital microscopy is technically challenging in a moving organ such as the lung. We demonstrate how simultaneous brightfield and fluorescent microscopy may be used to estimate endothelial surface layer thickness in a freely-moving in vivo mouse lung.

Primary disassociated embryonic hippocampal neuronal cultures are useful for investigating the signaling mechanisms involved in neuron death. Sexing the embryos before the isolation and dissociation of the hippocampus allows the preparation of separate male and female cultures, which enables the researcher to identify and investigate sex-specific cell signaling.

The manuscript describes the steps required to perform the heterotopic heart transplant in the mouse.

A method is presented to measure microcirculatory blood flow velocity in pulmonary cancer metastases of the pleural surface in rats in an automated fashion, using closed-chest pulmonary intravital microscopy. This model has potential to be used as a widespread tool to perform physiologic research on pulmonary metastases in rodents.

The reliability of results in metabolomics experiments depends on the effectiveness and reproducibility of the sample preparation. Described is a rigorous and in-depth method that enables extraction of metabolites from biological fluids with the option of subsequently analyzing up to thousands of compounds, or just the compound classes of interest.

Here we present a protocol to measure fungiform papilla density from digital photographs. This method builds prioritization and objective characteristic metrics into the original descriptive work on fungiform papillae by Miller & Reedy (1990).

Stress resistance is one of the hallmarks for longevity and is known to be genetically governed. Here, we developed an unbiased high-throughput method to screen for mutations that confer stress resistance in ES cells with which to develop mouse models for longevity studies.

A novel methodology is presented to synthesize and program main-chain liquid-crystalline elastomers using commercially available starting monomers. A wide range of thermomechanical properties was tailored by adjusting the amount of crosslinker, while the actuation performance was dependent on the amount of applied strain during programming.

This article provides a detailed procedure on the solid-phase synthesis, purification, and characterization of dodecamers of RNA modified at the C2'-O-position. UV-vis and circular dichroism photometric analyses are used to quantify and characterize structural aspects, i.e., single-strands or double-strands.

In this article, an economical, optimized, and simple protocol is described which uses the Evans blue dye method for assessing plasma extravasation in the organs of FVBN mice that can be adapted for use in other strains, species, and other organs or tissues.

Here, we presented the methods to detect human islet autoantibodies using electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assays. The protocol, used to predict type 1 diabetes, can be expanded upon to detect autoantibodies for other autoimmune diseases.

This protocol provides a comprehensive dissection and analysis guide for the use of deep ocular landmarks, s-opsin immunohistochemistry, Retistruct, and custom code to accurately and reliably orient the isolated mouse retina in anatomical space.

Intratracheal (IT) administration of experimental agents in mice often results in asymmetric delivery to the distal lungs.  In this report, we describe a direct intrabronchial (IB) approach to cannulate each lung in living mice non-operatively.  This approach can be used to selectively administer agents to one lung or may be adapted to improve the symmetric agent delivery to both lungs.

This article describes a protocol for the generation of antigen-specific CD8 T cells, and their expansion in vitro, with the aim of yielding high numbers of functional T cells for use in vitro and in vivo.

We model a simple multiplexed ECL assay that combines 7 autoantibody assays together. The assay is capable of screening for T1D and multiple other autoimmune diseases, simultaneously, including celiac disease, autoimmune thyroid disease, and autoimmune polyglandular syndrome 1.

This report describes techniques to isolate and purify sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) from biological samples and a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis approach to approximate their size. GAGs contribute to tissue structure and influence signaling processes via electrostatic interaction with proteins. GAG polymer length contributes to their binding affinity for cognate ligands.

In line with the urgent need for screening for type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and coronavirus disease 2019, we developed a high throughput 6-Plex electrochemiluminescence assay to simultaneously detect all four islet autoantibodies, tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies, and antibodies to the receptor binding domain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

The article describes the method for isolating conditionally immortalized glomerular endothelial cells from the kidneys of transgenic mice expressing the thermolabile simian virus 40 and photo-activatable mitochondria, PhAM^excised. We describe the procedure for glomeruli isolation from whole kidneys using beads, digestion steps, seeding, and culturing of GECs-CD31 positive.