The baroreflex is a heart-rate regulation mechanism by the autonomic nervous system in response to blood-pressure changes. We describe a surgical technique to implant telemetry transmitters for continuous and simultaneous measurement of electrocardiogram and blood pressure in mice. This can determine spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity, an important prognostic marker for cardiovascular disease.
Here, we present optimized tissue-clearing protocols to image the murine aorta in three dimensions (3D). We delineate state-of-the-art procedures for immunostaining, optical clearing, and imaging with the intent to define the anatomical proximity of the peripheral nervous system with atherosclerotic plaques and the adventitia in atherosclerosis.