Gli autori ringraziano Hartwig Wieboldt per la sua eccellente assistenza tecnica e l'UKE Microscopy Imaging Facility (Umif) dell'University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf per aver fornito microscopi e supporto. Questa ricerca è stata finanziata dal DZHK (Centro tedesco per la ricerca cardiovascolare) [FKZ 81Z4710141].

Gli autori non hanno nulla da rivelare.

La comprensione dei processi cellulari e molecolari nei neuroni e nelle cellule gliali del sistema nervoso simpatico che precedono l'insorgenza dell'AV è di alto interesse, poiché l'arresto cardiaco improvviso rimane la causa più comune di morte intutto il mondo 5. Pertanto, nel manoscritto attuale, forniamo un repertorio di base di metodi per identificare l'SG murino - un elemento murino all'interno di questa rete - ed eseguire analisi successive a livello di RNA, proteine e cellulare.
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Il sistema nervoso autonomo cardiaco è un equilibrio strettamente regolato di componenti simpatici, parasimpatici e sensoriali che consente al cuore di adattarsi ai cambiamenti ambientali con l'appropriata rispostafisiologica 1,2. Disturbi in questo equilibrio, ad esempio, un aumento dell'attività simpatica, sono stati stabiliti come driver chiave per l'insorgenza e il mantenimento delle aritmie ventricolari (VA)3,4. Pertanto, la modulazione autonoma, ottenuta attraverso la riduzione farmacologica dell'attività simpatica con beta-bloccanti, è stata una pietra miliare nel trattamento dei pazienti con VAper decenni 5,6. Ma nonostante gli interventi farmacologici e cateteri, un numero rilevante di pazienti soffre ancora di VA7 ricorrente.
L'input simpatico al cuore è per lo più mediato attraverso corpi cellulari neuronali nei gangli stellati (SG), strutture bilaterali a forma di stella della catena simpatica, che relè le informazioni attraverso numerosi nervi intratoracici dal tronco encefalicoal cuore 8,9,10. Il nervo che germoglia dall'SG dopo la lesione è associato all'AV e alla morte cardiacaimprovvisa 11,12,sottolineando l'SG come bersaglio per la modulazione autonomica13,14. Una riduzione dell'input simpatico al cuore può essere ottenuta temporaneamente tramite iniezione percutanea di anestetici locali o permanentemente mediante rimozione parziale dell'SG tramite toracoscopia video-assistita15,16. La denervazione cardiaca simpatica presenta un'opzione per i pazienti con VA refrattaria terapeuticacon risultati promettenti 14,16,17. Abbiamo imparato dall'SG estipeato di questi pazienti che il rimodellamento neuronale e neurochimico, la neuro-infiammazione e l'attivazione gliale sono segni distintivi del rimodellamento simpatico che potrebbe contribuire o aggravare la disfunzioneautonomica 18,19. Tuttavia, i processi cellulari e molecolari sottostanti in questi neuroni rimangono oscuri fino ad oggi, ad esempio il ruolo della transdifferenziazione neuronale in un fenotipo colinergico20,21. Studi sperimentali presentano nuovi approcci per trattare l'AV, ad esempio la riduzione dell'attività nervosa simpatica attraverso l'optogenetica22, ma la caratterizzazione approfondita dell'SG è ancora carente in molte patologie cardiache che vanno di pari passo con l'AV. I modelli di topo che imitano queste patologie consentono di studiare il rimodellamento neuronale che potenzialmente precede l'insorgenza delle aritmie12,23. Questi possono essere completati da ulteriori analisi morfologiche e funzionali per la caratterizzazione autonomica del cuore e del sistema nervoso. Nel presente protocollo, forniamo un repertorio di base di metodi che consentono di sezionare e caratterizzare l'SG murino per migliorare la comprensione dell'AV.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>96-well plate</td>
			<td>TPP</td>
			<td>92097</td>
			<td>RNAscope</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Adhesion Slides SuperFrost plus&#160; 25 x 75 x 1 mm</td>
			<td>R. Langenbrinck</td>
			<td>03-0060</td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Albumin bovine Fraction V receptor grade lyophil.</td>
			<td>Serva</td>
			<td>11924.03</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>bisBenzimide H33342 trihydrochloride (Hoechst)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA</td>
			<td>B2261</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chicken anti neurofilament</td>
			<td>EMD Millipore</td>
			<td>AB5539</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)</td>
			<td>Merck, KGA, Darmstadt, Germany</td>
			<td>D8418</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Donkey anti chicken IgY Alexa 647&#160;</td>
			<td>Merck, KGA, Darmstadt, Germany</td>
			<td>AP194SA6</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Donkey anti goat IgG Alexa 568&#160;</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>A11057</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Donkey anti rabbit IgG Alexa 488&#160;</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>A21206</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Drying block 37-100 mm</td>
			<td>Whatman (Sigma Aldrich)</td>
			<td>WHA10310992&#160;</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Eosin Y</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>E4009</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanol 99 % denatured with MEK, IPA and Bitrex (min. 99,8 %)</td>
			<td>Th.Geyer</td>
			<td>2212.5000</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Eukitt mounting medium</td>
			<td>AppliChem</td>
			<td>253681.0008</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fluoromount-G</td>
			<td>Southern Biotech</td>
			<td>0100-01</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fluoromount-G + DAPI</td>
			<td>Southern Biotech</td>
			<td>0100-20</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Goat anti choline acetyltransferase</td>
			<td>EMD Millipore</td>
			<td>AP144P</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>H2O2 30% (w/w)</td>
			<td>Merck, KGA, Darmstadt, Germany</td>
			<td>H1009</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heparin Sodium 25.000 UI / 5ml</td>
			<td>Rotexmedica</td>
			<td>PZN: 3862340</td>
			<td>Preparation SG</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High-capacity cDNA reverse transctiption kit</td>
			<td>Life technologies</td>
			<td>&#160;4368813</td>
			<td>RNA isolation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isoflurane (Forene)</td>
			<td>Abbott Laboratories</td>
			<td>2594.00.00</td>
			<td>Preparation SG</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mayer&#39;s hemalum solution</td>
			<td>Merck</td>
			<td>1.09249.0500</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Methanol</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>34860</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microscope cover glasses 20x20 mm or smaller</td>
			<td>Marienfeld</td>
			<td>0101040</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>miRNeasy Mini Kit</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>217004</td>
			<td>RNA isolation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NanoDrop 2000c</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>ND-2000C</td>
			<td>RNA isolation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Opal 570 Reagent Pack</td>
			<td>Akoya Bioscience</td>
			<td>FP1488001KT</td>
			<td>RNAscope</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Paraformaldehyde, 16% w/v aq. soln., methanol free&#160;</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>43368</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pasteur pipettes, LDPE, unsterile, 3 ml, 154 mm</td>
			<td>Th.Geyer</td>
			<td>7691202</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phosphate-buffered saline tablets</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>18912-014</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pinzette Dumont SS Forceps</td>
			<td>FineScienceTools</td>
			<td>11203-25</td>
			<td>Preparation SG</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>QIAzol Lysis Reagent</td>
			<td>Qiagen&#160;</td>
			<td>79306</td>
			<td>RNA isolation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rabbit anti tyrosine hydroxylase</td>
			<td>EMD Millipore</td>
			<td>AB152</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNAlater</td>
			<td>Merck</td>
			<td>R0901-100ML</td>
			<td>RNA isolation (optional)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNAscope Multiplex Fluorescent Reagent Kit v2</td>
			<td>biotechne (ACD)</td>
			<td>323100</td>
			<td>RNAscope</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNAscope Probe-Mm-S100b-C2</td>
			<td>biotechne (ACD)</td>
			<td>431738-C2</td>
			<td>RNAscope</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNAscope Probe-Mm-Tubb3</td>
			<td>biotechne (ACD)</td>
			<td>423391</td>
			<td>RNAscope</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stainless steel beads 7 mm&#160;</td>
			<td>Qiagen&#160;</td>
			<td>69990</td>
			<td>RNA isolation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sudan black B</td>
			<td>Roth</td>
			<td>0292.2</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TaqMan Gene Expression Assay Cdkn1b (Mm00438168_m1)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>4331182</td>
			<td>Gene expression analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TaqMan Gene Expression Assay Choline acetyltransferase (Mm01221880_m1)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>4331182</td>
			<td>Gene expression analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TaqMan Gene Expression Assay MKi67 (Mm01278617_m1)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>4331182</td>
			<td>Gene expression analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TaqMan Gene Expression Assay PTPCR (Mm01293577_m1)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>4331182</td>
			<td>Gene expression analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TaqMan Gene Expression Assay S100b (Mm00485897_m1)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>4331182</td>
			<td>Gene expression analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TaqMan Gene Expression Assay Tyrosin Hydroxylase (Mm00447557_m1)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>4331182</td>
			<td>Gene expression analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TaqMan mastermix</td>
			<td>Applied biosystems</td>
			<td>4370074</td>
			<td>Gene Expression analysis&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tissue Lyser II</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>85300</td>
			<td>RNA isolation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Triton X-100 10% solution</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>93443-100ml</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tween-20</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P9416-100ML</td>
			<td>RNAscope</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Wacom bamboo pen</td>
			<td>Wacom</td>
			<td>CTL-460/K</td>
			<td>Cell size measurements</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Whatman prepleated qualitative filter paper, Grade 595 1/2</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>WHA10311647</td>
			<td>Whole mount staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Wheat Germ Agglutinin, Alexa Fluor 633 Conjugate</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>W21404</td>
			<td>RNAscope</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

location, dissection, and analysis of the murine stellate ganglion

Il sistema nervoso autonomo è un importante driver dell'elettrofisiologia cardiaca. Soprattutto il ruolo del suo ramo simpatico è una questione di indagine in corso nella fisiopatologia delle aritmie ventricolari (VA). I neuroni nei gangli stellati (SG)   - strutture bilaterali a forma di stella della catena simpatica -   sono una componente importante dell'infrastruttura simpatica. L'SG è un obiettivo riconosciuto per il trattamento tramite denervazione cardiaca simpatica in pazienti con VA refrattaria-terapia. Mentre il rimodellamento neuronale e l'attivazione gliale nell'SG sono stati descritti nei pazienti con VA, i processi cellulari e molecolari sottostanti che potenzialmente precedono l'insorgenza dell'aritmia non sono solo sufficientemente compresi e devono essere chiariti per migliorare la modulazione autonomica. I modelli di topo ci permettono di studiare il rimodellamento neuronale simpatico, ma l'identificazione dell'SG murino è una sfida per l'investigatore inesperto. Pertanto, mancano studi biologici cellulari e molecolari approfonditi dell'SG murino per molte malattie cardiache comuni. Qui descriviamo un repertorio di base per la dissezione e lo studio dell'SG nei topi adulti per analisi a livello di RNA (isolamento dell'RNA per analisi dell'espressione genica, ibridazione in situ), livello proteico (colorazione immunofluorescente dell'intero supporto) e livello cellulare (morfologia di base, misurazione delle dimensioni delle cellule). Presentiamo potenziali soluzioni per superare le sfide nella tecnica di preparazione e come migliorare la colorazione attraverso la tempra dell'autofluorescenza. Ciò consente la visualizzazione di neuroni e cellule gliali tramite marcatori stabiliti al fine di determinare la composizione cellulare e i processi di rimodellamento. I metodi qui presentati consentono di caratterizzare l'SG per ottenere ulteriori informazioni sulla disfunzione autonoma nei topi inclini all'AV e possono essere integrati da tecniche aggiuntive che studiano i componenti neuronali e gliali del sistema nervoso autonomo nel cuore.

La figura 1 mostra come identificare e sezionare la figura 1A di SG. I muscoli longus colli sinistro e destro mediano dall'SG e la gabbia toracica sono importanti punti di riferimento per l'orientamento. La dissezione viene eseguita lungo le linee tratteggiate tra i muscoli e la prima costola. L'SG e la catena simpatica diventano visibili come strutture bianche (Figura 1C). La figu...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Location, Dissection, and Analysis of the Murine Stellate Ganglion at JoVE.com

Location, Dissection, and Analysis of the Murine Stellate Ganglion

I cambiamenti fisiopatologici nel sistema nervoso autonomo cardiaco, specialmente nel suo ramo simpatico, contribuiscono all'insorgenza e al mantenimento delle aritmie ventricolari. Nel presente protocollo, mostriamo come caratterizzare i gangli stellati murini per migliorare la comprensione dei processi molecolari e cellulari sottostanti.

Posizione, dissezione e analisi del Ganglio Stellato Murine

The autonomic nervous system is a substantial driver of cardiac electrophysiology. Especially&#160;the role of its sympathetic branch is an ongoing matter ...

location-dissection-and-analysis-of-the-murine-stellate-ganglion

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

9.6K Views.  EVK Düsseldorf, cNEP, cardiac Neuro- and Electrophysiology Research Consortium. I cambiamenti fisiopatologici nel sistema nervoso autonomo cardiaco, specialmente nel suo ramo simpatico, contribuiscono all'insorgenza e al mantenimento delle aritmie ventricolari. Nel presente protocollo, mostriamo come caratterizzare i gangli stellati murini per migliorare la comprensione dei processi molecolari e cellulari sottostanti.

Video: Location, Dissection, and Analysis of the Murine Stellate Ganglion

A Method for Murine Islet Isolation and Subcapsular Kidney Transplantation

Since the early pioneering work of Ballinger and Reckard demonstrating that transplantation of islets of Langerhans into diabetic rodents could normalize their blood glucose levels, islet transplantation has been proposed to be a potential treatment for type 1 diabetes 1,2. More recently, advances in human islet transplantation have further strengthened this view 1,3. However, two major limitations prevent islet transplantation from being a widespread clinical reality: (a) the requirement for large numbers of islets per patient, which severely reduces the number of potential recipients, and (b) the need for heavy immunosuppression, which significantly affects the pediatric population of patients due to their vulnerability to long-term immunosuppression. Strategies that can overcome these limitations have the potential to enhance the therapeutic utility of islet transplantation.
Islet transplantation under the mouse kidney capsule is a widely accepted model to investigate various strategies to improve islet transplantation. This experiment requires the isolation of high quality islets and implantation of islets to the diabetic recipients. Both procedures require surgical steps that can be better demonstrated by video than by text. Here, we document the detailed steps for these procedures by both video and written protocol. We also briefly discuss different transplantation models: syngeneic, allogeneic, syngeneic autoimmune, and allogeneic autoimmune.

Transplantation of isolated islets has been proposed to be a potential treatment for type 1 diabetes. Here we describe a method to isolate islets from mouse pancreata and transplant them to the subcapsular space of the kidney.

Un metodo per isolamento Islet murini e trapianto renale subcapsulare

Since the early pioneering work of Ballinger and Reckard demonstrating that transplantation of islets of Langerhans into diabetic rodents could normalize ...

Ricerca

Medicina

Dissection of Human Vitreous Body Elements for Proteomic Analysis

The vitreous is an optically clear, collagenous extracellular matrix that fills the inside of the eye and overlies the retina. 1,2 Abnormal interactions between vitreous substructures and the retina underlie several vitreoretinal diseases, including retinal tear and detachment, macular pucker, macular hole, age-related macular degeneration, vitreomacular traction, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and inherited vitreoretinopathies. 1,2 The molecular composition of the vitreous substructures is not known. Since the vitreous body is transparent with limited surgical access, it has been difficult to study its substructures at the molecular level. We developed a method to separate and preserve these tissues for proteomic and biochemical analysis. The dissection technique in this experimental video shows how to isolate vitreous base, anterior hyaloid, vitreous core, and vitreous cortex from postmortem human eyes. One-dimensional SDS-PAGE analyses of each vitreous component showed that our dissection technique resulted in four unique protein profiles corresponding to each substructure of the human vitreous body. Identification of differentially compartmentalized proteins will reveal candidate molecules underlying various vitreoretinal diseases.

This video shows an effective technique for differentiating and dissecting the various semi-transparent structures of the human vitreous body in post mortem eyes.

Dissezione di Human Elements corpo vitreo per l&#39;analisi proteomica

The vitreous is an optically clear, collagenous extracellular matrix that fills the inside of the eye and overlies the retina. 1,2 Abnormal interactions ...

Quantitative Analysis and Characterization of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Murine Aortic Sinus

Atherosclerosis is a disease of the large arteries and a major underlying cause of myocardial infarction and stroke. Several different mouse models have been developed to facilitate the study of the molecular and cellular pathophysiology of this disease. In this manuscript we describe specific techniques for the quantification and characterization of atherosclerotic lesions in the murine aortic sinus and ascending aorta. The advantage of this procedure is that it provides an accurate measurement of the cross-sectional area and total volume of the lesion, which can be used to compare atherosclerotic progression across different treatment groups. This is possible through the use of the valve leaflets as an anatomical landmark, together with careful adjustment of the sectioning angle. We also describe basic staining methods that can be used to begin to characterize atherosclerotic progression. These can be further modified to investigate antigens of specific interest to the researcher. The described techniques are generally applicable to a wide variety of existing and newly created dietary and genetically-induced models of atherogenesis.

We describe procedures to quantify and characterize atherosclerotic lesions in mouse models using precision sectioning of the aortic sinus and ascending aorta combined with histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis.

Atherosclerosis is a disease of the large arteries and a major underlying cause of myocardial infarction and stroke. Several different mouse models have ...

Whole Vitreous Humor Dissection for Vitreodynamic Analysis

The authors propose an effective technique to isolate whole, intact vitreous core and cortex from post mortem enucleated porcine eyes. While previous studies have shown the results of such dissections, the detailed steps have not been described, precluding researchers outside the field from replicating their methods. Other studies harvest vitreous either through aspiration, which does not maintain the vitreous structure anatomy, or through partial dissection, which only isolates the vitreous core. The proposed method isolates the whole vitreous body, with the vitreous core and cortex intact, while maintaining vitreous anatomy and structural integrity. In this method, a full thickness scleral flap in an enucleated porcine eye is first created and through this, the choroid tissue can be separated from the sclera. The scleral flap is then expanded and the choroid is completely separated from the sclera. Finally the choroid-retina tissue is peeled off the vitreous to leave an isolated intact vitreous body. The proposed vitreous dissection technique can be used to study physical properties of the vitreous humor. In particular, this method has significance for experimental studies involving drug delivery, vitreo-retinal oxygen transport, and intraocular convection.

The goal of this protocol is to show an effective technique to isolate whole, intact vitreous core and cortex from post mortem enucleated porcine eyes.

Tutta vitreo Umore dissezione per l&#39;analisi Vitreodynamic

The authors propose an effective technique to isolate whole, intact vitreous core and cortex from post mortem enucleated porcine eyes. While previous ...

Murine Prostate Micro-dissection and Surgical Castration

Mouse models are used extensively to study prostate cancer and other diseases. The mouse is an excellent model with which to study the prostate and has been used as a surrogate for discoveries in human prostate development and disease. Prostate micro-dissection allows consistent study of lobe-specific prostate anatomy, histology, and cellular characteristics in the absence of contamination of other tissues. Testosterone affects prostate development and disease. Androgen deprivation therapy is a common treatment for prostate cancer patients, but many prostate tumors become castration-resistant. Surgical castration of mouse models allows for the study of castration resistance and other facets of hormonal biology on the prostate. This procedure can be coupled with testosterone reintroduction, or hormonal regeneration of the prostate, a powerful method to study stem cell lineages in the prostate. Together, prostate micro-dissection and surgical castration opens up a multitude of opportunities for robust and consistent research of prostate development and disease. This manuscript describes the protocols for prostate micro-dissection and surgical castration in the laboratory mouse.

This manuscript describes the protocols for prostate micro-dissection and surgical castration in the laboratory mouse. We also depict representative results produced by these protocols. Finally, we discuss the advantages and utilization of these protocols.

Murino della prostata Micro-dissezione e la castrazione chirurgica

Mouse models are used extensively to study prostate cancer and other diseases. The mouse is an excellent model with which to study the prostate and has ...

Dissection of the Mouse Pancreas for Histological Analysis and Metabolic Profiling

We have been investigating the pancreas specific transcription factor, 1a cre-recombinase; lox-stop-lox- Kristen rat sarcoma, glycine to aspartic acid at the 12 codon (Ptf1acre/+;LSL-KrasG12D/+) mouse strain as a model of human pancreatic cancer. The goal of our current studies is to identify novel metabolic biomarkers of pancreatic cancer progression. We have performed metabolic profiling of urine, feces, blood, and pancreas tissue extracts, as well as histological analyses of the pancreas to stage the cancer progression. The mouse pancreas is not a well-defined solid organ like in humans, but rather is a diffusely distributed soft tissue that is not easily identified by individuals unfamiliar with mouse internal anatomy or by individuals that have little or no experience performing mouse organ dissections. The purpose of this article is to provide a detailed step-wise visual demonstration to guide novices in the removal of the mouse pancreas by dissection. This article should be especially valuable to students and investigators new to research that requires harvesting of the mouse pancreas by dissection for metabolic profiling or histological analyses.

This video article provides a detailed demonstration of the procedures required to successfully remove the pancreas from a mouse by dissection for histological analysis and metabolic profiling.

Dissezione del Pancreas del Mouse per l'analisi istologica e Profiling metabolico

We have been investigating the pancreas specific transcription factor, 1a cre-recombinase; lox-stop-lox- Kristen rat sarcoma, glycine to aspartic acid at ...

Dissection and Explant Culture of Murine Allantois for the In Vitro Analysis of Allantoic Attachment

The placenta is essential for the growth and development of mammalian embryos. For this reason, numerous genetic alterations and likely also environmental insults that disturb placenta development or function can cause early pregnancy loss in mice and humans. Nevertheless, simple in vitro assays to screen for potential effects on placenta formation are lacking. Here, we focus on modeling the first and critical step in placenta formation, which consists of the attachment of the allantois to the chorion. We describe a method to rapidly assess the attachment of allantoic explants on immobilized &#945;4&#946;1 integrin, which serves as a chorio-mimetic substrate.This in vitro approach enables a qualitative evaluation of the attachment and spreading behavior of multiple allantois explants at different consecutive time points. The protocol may be used to investigate the effect of targeted mouse mutations, drugs, or various environmental factors that have been linked to pregnancy complications or fetal loss on allantois attachment ex vivo.

Dissection and Explant Culture of Murine Allantois for the In Vitro Analysis of Allantoic Attachment

We describe an in vitro assay to model chorioallantoic attachment, the first step in placenta formation. The protocol demonstrates the dissection and explant culture of murine allantoides on immobilized &#945;4&#946;1 integrin. Allantois attachment is evaluated microscopically at pre-determined time points.

Dissezione e cultura Explant della Allantois murino per l'analisi In Vitro di allantoico allegato

The placenta is essential for the growth and development of mammalian embryos. For this reason, numerous genetic alterations and likely also environmental ...

A Non-Invasive Method for Generating the Cyclic Loading-Induced Intra-Articular Cartilage Lesion Model of the Rat Knee

The pathophysiology of primary osteoarthritis (OA) remains unclear. However, a specific subclassification of OA in relatively younger age groups is likely correlated with a history of articular cartilage damage and ligament avulsion. Surgical animal models of OA of the knee play an important role in understanding the onset and progression of post-traumatic OA and aid in the development of novel therapies for this disease. However, non-surgical models have been recently considered to avoid traumatic inflammation that could affect the evaluation of the intervention. 
In this study, an intra-articular cartilage lesion rat model induced by in vivo cyclic compressive loading was developed, which allowed researchers to (1) determine the optimal magnitude, speed, and duration of load that could cause focal cartilage damage; (2) assess post-traumatic spatiotemporal pathological changes in chondrocyte vitality; and (3) evaluate the histological expression of destructive or protective molecules that are involved in the adaptation and repair mechanisms against joint compressive loads. This report describes the experimental protocol for this novel cartilage lesion in a rat model.

Here, we present the cyclic loading-induced intra-articular cartilage lesion model of the rat knee, generated by 60 cyclic compressions over 20 N, resulting in damage to the femoral condylar cartilage in rats.

Un metodo non invasivo per generare il modello di lesione cartilaginea intra-articolare indotta dal carico ciclico del ginocchio di ratto

The pathophysiology of primary osteoarthritis (OA) remains unclear. However, a specific subclassification of OA in relatively younger age groups is likely ...

Robot-assisted Total Mesorectal Excision and Lateral Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection for Locally Advanced Middle-low Rectal Cancer

Since their approval for clinical use, da Vinci surgical robots have shown great advantages in gastrointestinal surgical operations, especially in complex procedures. The high-quality 3-D visual, multijoint arm and natural tremor filtration allow the surgeon to expose and dissect more accurately with minimal invasion. Total mesorectal excision is the standard surgical technique for the treatment of resectable rectal cancer. To reduce the lateral recurrence rate, lateral pelvic lymph node dissection can be performed, as it is a safe and feasible procedure for locally advanced middle-low rectal cancer with a high possibility of metastasis to the lateral lymph nodes. However, the complexity of the anatomic structures and the high postoperative complication rate limit its application. Recently, several surgeons have increasingly used robotic techniques for total mesorectal excision and lateral pelvic lymph node dissection. Compared with open and laparoscopic surgery, the robotic technique has several advantages, such as less blood loss, fewer blood transfusions, minimal trauma, shorter postoperative hospitalization, and quicker recovery. A robotic approach is generally regarded as a reasonable alternative for complicated procedures such as lateral pelvic lymph node dissection, although there are a limited number of high-quality prospective randomized controlled studies reporting direct evidence. Here, we provide the detailed steps of robot-assisted total mesorectal excision and lateral pelvic lymph node dissection performed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi&#39;an Jiaotong University.

The robotic technique described herein aims to detail a stepwise approach to robot-assisted total mesorectal excision and lateral pelvic lymph node dissection for locally advanced (T3/T4) rectal cancer located below the peritoneal reflection.

Escissione mesorettale totale assistita da robot e dissezione del linfonodo pelvico laterale per il cancro del retto medio-basso localmente avanzato

Since their approval for clinical use, da Vinci surgical robots have shown great advantages in gastrointestinal surgical operations, especially in complex ...

Robotic Left Hepatectomy using Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging for an Intrahepatic Complex Biliary Cyst

Biliary cysts (BC) are rare congenital dilatations of intra- and extrahepatic parts of the biliary tract and bear a significant risk of carcinogenesis. Surgery is the cornerstone treatment for patients with BC. While total BC excision and Roux-Y hepaticojejunostomy is the treatment method of the choice in patients with extrahepatic BC (i.e., Todani I-IV), patients with intrahepatic BC (i.e., Todani V) benefit the most from a surgical liver resection. In recent years, minimally invasive liver surgery (MILS) including robotic MILS has gained more acceptance as a feasible, safe, and effective procedure for the treatment of both benign and malignant indications. Robotic major MILS is still considered technically demanding and a detailed description of the technical approach during robotic major MILS has only been limitedly discussed in the literature. The current article describes the main steps for a robotic left hepatectomy in a patient with a large BC Todani Type V. The patient is in French position with 5 trocars placed (4 robotic, 1 laparoscopic assistant). After mobilizing the left hemiliver, the left and right hepatic artery are dissected carefully followed by a cholecystectomy. Intraoperative ultrasound is performed to confirm localization and margins of the BC. The Left hepatic artery and left portal vein are isolated, clipped, and divided. Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging is used regularly during the entire procedure to visualize and confirm biliary tract anatomy and the BC. Parenchymal transection is performed with robotic cautery hook for the superficial part and robotic cautery spatula, bipolar cautery, and vessel sealer for the deeper parenchyma. The postoperative course was uncomplicated. A robotic left hepatectomy is technically demanding, yet a feasible and safe procedure. ICG-fluorescence imaging aids in delineating the BC and bile duct anatomy. Further, comparative studies are needed to confirm clinical benefits of robotic MILS for benign and malignant indications.

Robotic liver surgery has gained more acceptance as a feasible, safe, and effective procedure for the treatment of both benign and malignant indications. However, robotic left hepatectomy is still technically demanding. We describe our surgical technique of a robotic left hepatectomy using indocyanine green fluorescence imaging for a large biliary cyst.

Epatectomia sinistra robotica con imaging a fluorescenza verde didocianina per una cisti biliare del complesso intraepatico

Biliary cysts (BC) are rare congenital dilatations of intra- and extrahepatic parts of the biliary tract and bear a significant risk of carcinogenesis. ...