The authors would like to thank Adriane Mosley and Libuse Jerabek (Stanford) for assistance with the surgical technique.

All animal studies were performed according to the guidelines of UCLA&#39;s animal care and use committee and the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The duration of the procedure described below is approximately 45-60 min from beginning to end.
1. Preparation of Surgical Field
<ol>
	<li>Perform procedure in a clean animal surgery room.</li>
	<li>Equipment: isoflurane Vaporizer, Gaymer T Pump with heating pad.</li>
	<li>Sterile tools: two curved fo...

<ol>
	<li>Bert, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Exp&#233;riences+et+consid&#233;rations+sur+la+greffe+animale.">Exp&#233;riences et consid&#233;rations sur la greffe animale.</a> Journal de l'Anatomie et de la Physiologie. 1, 69-87 .</li><li>Bunster, E., Meyer, R. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Improved+methods+of+parabiosis.">Improved methods of parabiosis.</a> Anat. Rec. 57, 339-380 (1933).</li><li>Waskow, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+of+parabiotic+mice+for+the+study+of+DC+and+DC+precursor+circulation.">Generation of parabiotic mice for the study of DC and DC precursor circulation.</a> Methods Mol. Biol. 595, 413-428 (2010).</li><li>Finerty, J. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Parabiosis+in+physiological+studies.">Parabiosis in physiological studies.</a> Physiol. Rev. 32, 277-302 (1952).</li><li>Aicher, A., Heeschen, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nonbone+marrow-derived+endothelial+progenitor+cells:+what+is+their+exact+location.">Nonbone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells: what is their exact location.</a> Circ. Res. 101, e102 (2007).</li><li>Abe, S., Boyer, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cells+derived+from+the+circulation+contribute+to+the+repair+of+lung+injury.">Cells derived from the circulation contribute to the repair of lung injury.</a> Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 170, 1158-1163 (2004).</li><li>Donskoy, E., Goldschneider, I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Thymocytopoiesis+is+maintained+by+blood-borne+precursors+throughout+postnatal+life.+A+study+in+parabiotic+mice.">Thymocytopoiesis is maintained by blood-borne precursors throughout postnatal life. A study in parabiotic mice.</a> J. Immunol. 148, 1604-1612 (1992).</li><li>Powell, A. E., Anderson, E. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fusion+between+Intestinal+epithelial+cells+and+macrophages+in+a+cancer+context+results+in+nuclear+reprogramming.">Fusion between Intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages in a cancer context results in nuclear reprogramming.</a> Cancer Res. 71, 1497-1505 (2011).</li><li>Duyverman, A. M., Kohno, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+transient+parabiosis+skin+transplantation+model+in+mice.">A transient parabiosis skin transplantation model in mice.</a> Nat. Protoc. 7, 763-770 (2012).</li><li>Ajami, B., Bennett, J. L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Local+self-renewal+can+sustain+CNS+microglia+maintenance+and+function+throughout+adult+life.">Local self-renewal can sustain CNS microglia maintenance and function throughout adult life.</a> Nat. Neurosci. 10, 1538-1543 (2007).</li><li>Weissman, I. L., Jerabek, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tolerance+and+the+H-Y+antigen:+Requirement+for+male+T+cells,+but+not+B+cells,+to+induce+tolerance+in+neonatal+female+mice.">Tolerance and the H-Y antigen: Requirement for male T cells, but not B cells, to induce tolerance in neonatal female mice.</a> Transplantation. 37, 3-6 (1984).</li></ol>

The parabiosis method discussed here presents minimal technical difficulties and results in low mortality rates. The attachment of knee and elbow joints is a significant improvement of the Bunster and Meyer technique. However, the procedure remains invasive thus maintenance of sterile conditions throughout the surgery is imperative. To further prevent infection of the surgical site, it is important that the parabiosed animals receive a combination of antibiotics and be monitored regularly. To ensure firm support and prev...

Parabiosis, the surgical joining of two organisms, was first described in 1864 by Paul Bert as a way to develop a model to study shared circulatory systems and consisted of the joining of the skin and muscular walls of two rats1. Parabiosis promotes formation of microvasculature at the site of inflammation3 and has had several applications in physiological studies, such as the hormonal communication between the pituitary gland and gonads as well as the role of the kidney in hypertension4. It has been further employed to investigate the recruitment and integration of progenitor cells in neovascularization5, migration of hematopoietic stem cells6, and lymphocyte trafficking7, as well as the role and kinetics of circulating inflammatory or stem cells in tumor metastasis8,9, and neurodegenerative disease10.
One significant advantage of parabiosis lies in that the partnered animals share common circulating antigens, allowing cell migration and neovascularization without triggering an immunological reaction. Importantly, Weissman et al. have shown that parabiosis between male and female mice does not lead to formation of anti H-Y antibodies11.
In the original protocol described by Paul Bert the two animals were joined together through connection of the skin and muscle walls1. This method however, caused significant strain to the animals and resulted in high mortality due to infection of the wound. Since then the parabiosis technique has been revised by several groups with the most predominant being the protocol proposed by Bunster and Meyer in 19332. Their method included joining of the scapula joints, body cavities, and skin, permitting better support and less pain for the animals. At the same time, the new method resulted in minimal post-operative care and significantly decreased mortality rates. The protocol described herein is a modification of the Bunster and Meyer technique that is less invasive and allows firmer joining. Namely, mice are connected through the elbow and knee joints as well as the skin. This joining prevents extension of the skin and therefore causes less pain and complications. Here we describe the joining of a wild type (WT) adult mouse to a constitutive GFP expressing mouse. We show that two weeks following surgery we can achieve 50% of blood chimerism demonstrating the efficacy of this surgical procedure to create a shared circulatory system.

<table border="1">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Name of equipment</td>
			<td>Company</td>
			<td>Catalog number</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isoflurane-Phoenix</td>
			<td>Clipper</td>
			<td>NDC 57319-559-06</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Posi-Seal Induction Chamber</td>
			<td>Molecular Imaging Products</td>
			<td>AS-01-0530-SM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Portable Anesthesia System</td>
			<td>Molecular Imaging Products</td>
			<td>AS-01-0007</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gaymer T Pump</td>
			<td>Gaymar Industries, Inc</td>
			<td>TP650</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Warming Blanket (Heating pad)</td>
			<td>Kent Scientific Corp</td>
			<td>TP-22G</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Curved forceps</td>
			<td>Roboz</td>
			<td>RS-5101</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Scissors</td>
			<td>Fine Science Tools (FST)</td>
			<td>FST 14063-09</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Needle holder</td>
			<td>FST</td>
			<td>FST 12501-13</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Electrical shaver</td>
			<td>Oster</td>
			<td>Golden A5</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

parabiosis in mice: a detailed protocol

Parabiosis is a surgical union of two organisms allowing sharing of the blood circulation. Attaching the skin of two animals promotes formation of microvasculature at the site of inflammation. Parabiotic partners share their circulating antigens and thus are free of adverse immune reaction. First described by Paul Bert in 18641, the parabiosis surgery was refined by Bunster and Meyer in 1933 to improve animal survival2. In the current protocol, two mice are surgically joined following a modification of the Bunster and Meyer technique. Animals are connected through the elbow and knee joints followed by attachment of the skin allowing firm support that prevents strain on the sutured skin. Herein, we describe in detail the parabiotic joining of a ubiquitous GFP expressing mouse to a wild type (WT) mouse. Two weeks after the procedure, the pair is separated and GFP positive cells can be detected by flow cytometric analysis in the blood circulation of the WT mouse. The blood chimerism allows one to examine the contribution of the circulating cells from one animal in the other.

The anticipated outcome of parabiosis of two organisms is the equal contribution of each animal's circulatory system to a common blood circulation (Figure 2). One can easily verify the successful equilibration of the blood of the parabiosed WT and GFP positive mice by flow cytometric analysis. Here, venous blood was obtained from the tails of both parabionts at 2 weeks after the surgery and was fractionated for peripheral blood cells (to exclude erythrocytes). The fractionated hematopoietic-derived cell ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Parabiosis in Mice: A Detailed Protocol at JoVE.com

Parabiosis in Mice: A Detailed Protocol

Parabiotic joining of two organisms leads to the development of a shared circulatory system. In this protocol, we describe the surgical steps to form a parabiotic connection between a wild-type mouse and a constitutive GFP-expressing mouse.

Parabiosis is a surgical union of two organisms allowing sharing of the blood circulation. Attaching the skin of two animals promotes formation of ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

73.0K ビュー.  University of California, Los Angeles.  2つの生物の結合並体結合は、共有循環系の開発につながる。このプロトコルでは、野生型マウスと恒常的GFP発現マウスとの間の並体結合接続を形成するための手術ステップを記載している。 

ビデオ: Parabiosis in Mice: A Detailed Protocol

Parabiotic joining of two organisms leads to the development of a shared circulatory system. In this protocol, we describe the surgical steps to form a parabiotic connection between a wild-type mouse and a constitutive GFP-expressing...

detecting establishment of shared blood supply in parabiotic mice by caudal vein glucose injection

Detecting Establishment of Shared Blood Supply in Parabiotic Mice by Caudal Vein Glucose Injection

Here we describe a new method of detecting successful establishment of shared blood circulation of two parabionts through a caudal vein injection of glucose, which causes minimal damage and is not fatal to the...

a mouse model of orthopedic surgery to study postoperative cognitive dysfunction and tissue regeneration

A Mouse Model of Orthopedic Surgery to Study Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction and Tissue Regeneration

This protocol describes a mouse model of orthopedic surgery that has been used to study mechanisms of postoperative neuroinflammation and behavioral changes, and when combined with parabiosis, to study tissue regeneration during...

generation of parabiotic zebrafish embryos by surgical fusion of developing blastulae

Generation of Parabiotic Zebrafish Embryos by Surgical Fusion of Developing Blastulae

This protocol provides step-by-step instruction on how to generate parabiotic zebrafish embryos of different genetic backgrounds. When combined with the unparalleled imaging capabilities of the zebrafish embryo, this method provides a uniquely powerful means to investigate cell-autonomous versus non-cell-autonomous functions for candidate genes of...

a detailed protocol for physiological parameters acquisition and analysis in neurosurgical critical patients

A Detailed Protocol for Physiological Parameters Acquisition and Analysis in Neurosurgical Critical Patients

Recently, we have developed a portable multimodality monitoring system for the monitoring of various physiological parameters in neurosurgical critical patients. Detailed protocols on how to use this multimodality monitoring system are presented...

a detailed protocol for perspiration monitoring using a novel, small, wireless device

A Detailed Protocol for Perspiration Monitoring Using a Novel, Small, Wireless Device

Recently, we developed a small wireless device for perspiration monitoring. In this article, we present detailed protocols on how to use the device for perspiration monitoring with an example of the sympathetic activity...

dry root rot disease assays in chickpea: a detailed methodology

Dry Root Rot Disease Assays in Chickpea: a Detailed Methodology

This study presents methodologies to study the pathomorphological and molecular mechanisms underlying chickpea&#8211;Rhizoctonia bataticola interaction. The blotting paper method is useful to rapidly study chickpea genotype responses, while the sick pot-based method can be used to simultaneously impose drought and R. bataticola infection and screen for tolerant...

a protocol for transcranial photobiomodulation therapy in mice

A Protocol for Transcranial Photobiomodulation Therapy in Mice

Photobiomodulation therapy is an innovative noninvasive modality for the treatment of a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders and can also improve healthy brain function. This protocol includes a step-by-step guide to performing brain photobiomodulation in mice by transcranial light delivery, which can be adapted for use in other laboratory...

a protocol for housing mice in an enriched environment

A Protocol for Housing Mice in an Enriched Environment

Environmental enrichment for mice requires a complex and challenging setup, as well as comprehensive husbandry and handling techniques to assure robust metabolic and anti-cancer effects in the mice. This protocol provides detailed procedures to reproduce the above mentioned effects in...

a detailed protocol for characterizing the murine c1498 cell line and its associated leukemia mouse model

A Detailed Protocol for Characterizing the Murine C1498 Cell Line and its Associated Leukemia Mouse Model

This manuscript provides a technical procedure that can be used to characterize C1498 cell cultures in vitro and the acute leukemia induced in mice after their injection. Phenotypic and functional analyses are performed using flow cytometry, immunofluorescence microscopy, cytochemistry and May-Gr&#252;nwald Giemsa...

a chronic immobilization stress protocol for inducing depression-like behavior in mice

A Chronic Immobilization Stress Protocol for Inducing Depression-Like Behavior in Mice

This article provides a simplified and standardized protocol for induction of depressive-like behavior in chronically immobilized mice by using a restrainer. In addition, behavior and physiological techniques to verify induction of depression are...

protocol to create chronic wounds in diabetic mice

Protocol to Create Chronic Wounds in Diabetic Mice

Chronic wounds are developed from acute wounds on a diabetic mouse model by inducing high levels of oxidative stress after a full-thickness cutaneous wound. The wound is treated with inhibitors for catalase and glutathione peroxidase, resulting in impaired healing and biofilm development by bacteria present in the skin...

a simple high efficiency protocol for pancreatic islet isolation from mice

A Simple High Efficiency Protocol for Pancreatic Islet Isolation from Mice

This islet isolation protocol described a novel route of collagenase injection to digest the exocrine tissue and a simplified gradient procedure to purify the islets from mice. It involves enzymatic digestion, gradient separation/purification, and islet hand-picking. Successful isolation can yield 250&#8211;350 high quality and fully functional islets per...

protocol for long duration whole body hyperthermia in mice

Protocol for Long Duration Whole Body Hyperthermia in Mice

This paper describes a protocol for whole body hyperthermia in mice that can stimulate fever like conditions up to 12-24...

a protocol for the induction of posttraumatic stress-disorder (ptsd)-like behavior in mice

A Protocol for the Induction of Posttraumatic Stress-Disorder PTSD-like Behavior in Mice

In this study, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like behavior is induced in mice using two sessions of inescapable electric foot shock. PTSD-like and resilient animals are identified using several assays for PTSD-specific...

A Protocol for the Induction of Posttraumatic Stress-Disorder (PTSD)-like Behavior in Mice

the unpredictable chronic mild stress protocol for inducing anhedonia in mice

The Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Inducing Anhedonia in Mice

Here we present the unpredictable chronic mild stress protocol in mice. This protocol induces a long-term depressive-like phenotype and enables to assess the efficacy of putative antidepressants in reversing the behavioral and neuromolecular depressive-like...

a scalable balz-schiemann reaction protocol in a continuous flow reactor

A Scalable Balz-Schiemann Reaction Protocol in a Continuous Flow Reactor

A detailed scalable continuous flow protocol is presented to synthesize an aryl fluoride from an aryl amine through the Balz-Schiemann...

heterotopic renal autotransplantation in a porcine model: a step-by-step protocol

Heterotopic Renal Autotransplantation in a Porcine Model: A Step-by-Step Protocol

Porcine models of organ transplantation provide an important platform to study mechanisms of organ preservation. This article describes a heterotopic porcine renal autotransplantation model, which allows investigating new approaches to improve the outcome of transplantation using marginal kidney...

protocol for rnai assays in adult mosquitoes (a. gambiae)

Protocol for RNAi Assays in Adult Mosquitoes A. gambiae

Reverse genetic approaches have proven extremely useful for determining  which genes underly resistance to vector pathogens in mosquitoes.  This video protocol illustrates a method used by the Dimopoulos lab to inject dsRNA into Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, which harbor the malaria parasite.  The technique manipulating the injection setup and injecting dsRNA into the thorax is...

Protocol for RNAi Assays in Adult Mosquitoes (A. gambiae)

tomato analyzer: a useful software application to collect accurate and detailed morphological and colorimetric data from two-dimensional objects

Tomato Analyzer: A Useful Software Application to Collect Accurate and Detailed Morphological and Colorimetric Data from Two-dimensional Objects

Tomato Analyzer (TA) quantifies attributes of two dimensional shapes and color in a reproducible and accurate manner. A step-by-step procedure for obtaining high quality digitalized images of tomato fruit, morphological and color analyses of these images and several applications using the data generated through this software are...

The Trier Social Stress Test Protocol for Inducing Psychological Stress

This article demonstrates a psychological stress protocol for use in a laboratory setting. Protocols that allow researchers to study the biological pathways of the stress response in health and disease are fundamental to the progress of research in stress and anxiety.1 Although numerous protocols exist for inducing stress response in the laboratory, many neglect to provide a naturalistic context or to incorporate aspects of social and psychological stress. Of psychological stress protocols, meta-analysis suggests that the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is the most useful and appropriate standardized protocol for studies of stress hormone reactivity.2 In the original description of the TSST, researchers sought to design and evaluate a procedure capable of inducing a reliable stress response in the majority of healthy volunteers.3 These researchers found elevations in heart rate, blood pressure and several endocrine stress markers in response to the TSST (a psychological stressor) compared to a saline injection (a physical stressor).3 Although the TSST has been modified to meet the needs of various research groups, it generally consists of a waiting period upon arrival, anticipatory speech preparation, speech performance, and verbal arithmetic performance periods, followed by one or more recovery periods. The TSST requires participants to prepare and deliver a speech, and verbally respond to a challenging arithmetic problem in the presence of a socially evaluative audience.3 Social evaluation and uncontrollability have been identified as key components of stress induction by the TSST.4 In use for over a decade, the goal of the TSST is to systematically induce a stress response in order to measure differences in reactivity, anxiety and activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) or sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) axis during the task.1 Researchers generally assess changes in self-reported anxiety, physiological measures (e.g. heart rate), and/or neuroendocrine indices (e.g. the stress hormone cortisol) in response to the TSST. Many investigators have adopted salivary sampling for stress markers such as cortisol and alpha-amylase (a marker of autonomic nervous system activation) as an alternative to blood sampling to reduce the confounding stress of blood-collection techniques. In addition to changes experienced by an individual completing the TSST, researchers can compare changes between different treatment groups (e.g. clinical versus healthy control samples) or the effectiveness of stress-reducing interventions.1

This article describes a protocol for inducing psychological stress in participants, which enables researchers to measure psychological, physiological and neuroendocrine responses to stress within single participants or between groups.

This article demonstrates a psychological stress protocol for use in a laboratory setting.  Protocols that allow researchers to study the biological ...

Hyperthermia is a general term used to define the increase in core body temperature above normal. It is often used to describe the increased core body temperature that is observed during fever. The use of hyperthermia as an adjuvant has emerged as a promising procedure for tumor regression in the field of cancer biology. For this purpose, the most important requirement is to have reliable and uniform heating protocols. We have developed a protocol for hyperthermia (whole body) in mice. In this protocol, animals are exposed to cycles of hyperthermia for 90 min followed by a rest period of 15 min. During this period mice have easy access to food and water. High body temperature spikes in the mice during first few hyperthermia exposure cycles are prevented by immobilizing the animal. Additionally, normal saline is administered in first few cycles to minimize the effects of dehydration. This protocol can simulate fever like conditions in mice up to 12-24 hr. We have used 8-12 weeks old BALB/Cj female mice to demonstrate the protocol.

This paper describes a protocol for whole body hyperthermia in mice that can stimulate fever like conditions up to 12-24 hr.

Hyperthermia is a general term used to define the increase in core body temperature above normal. It is often used to describe the increased core body ...

Collection Protocol for Human Pancreas

This dissection and sampling procedure was developed for the Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD) program to standardize preparation of pancreas recovered from cadaveric organ donors. The pancreas is divided into 3 main regions (head, body, tail) followed by serial transverse sections throughout the medial to lateral axis. Alternating sections are used for fixed paraffin and fresh frozen blocks and remnant samples are minced for snap frozen sample preparations, either with or without RNAse inhibitors, for DNA, RNA, or protein isolation. The overall goal of the pancreas dissection procedure is to sample the entire pancreas while maintaining anatomical orientation.
Endocrine cell heterogeneity in terms of islet composition, size, and numbers is reported for human islets compared to rodent islets 1. The majority of human islets from the pancreas head, body and tail regions are composed of insulin-containing &beta;-cells followed by lower proportions of glucagon-containing &alpha;-cells and somatostatin-containing &delta;-cells. Pancreatic polypeptide-containing PP cells and ghrelin-containing epsilon cells are also present but in small numbers. In contrast, the uncinate region contains islets that are primarily composed of pancreatic polypeptide-containing PP cells 2. These regional islet variations arise from developmental differences. The pancreas develops from the ventral and dorsal pancreatic buds in the foregut and after rotation of the stomach and duodenum, the ventral lobe moves and fuses with the dorsal 3. The ventral lobe forms the posterior portion of the head including the uncinate process while the dorsal lobe gives rise to the rest of the organ. Regional pancreatic variation is also reported with the tail region having higher islet density compared to other regions and the dorsal lobe-derived components undergoing selective atrophy in type 1 diabetes4,5.
Additional organs and tissues are often recovered from the organ donors and include pancreatic lymph nodes, spleen and non-pancreatic lymph nodes. These samples are recovered with similar formats as for the pancreas with the addition of isolation of cryopreserved cells. When the proximal duodenum is included with the pancreas, duodenal mucosa may be collected for paraffin and frozen blocks and minced snap frozen preparations.

This video demonstrates a dissection procedure for processing human pancreas into multiple storage formats. Anatomical orientation is maintained throughout the pancreatic regions to allow definition of regional islet composition and density.

This dissection and sampling procedure was developed for the Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD) program to standardize preparation ...

Carotid Artery Infusions for Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Analysis of Taxanes in Mice

When proposing the use of a drug, drug combination, or drug delivery into a novel system, one must assess the pharmacokinetics of the drug in the study model. As the use of mouse models are often a vital step in preclinical drug discovery and drug development1-8, it is necessary to design a system to introduce drugs into mice in a uniform, reproducible manner. Ideally, the system should permit the collection of blood samples at regular intervals over a set time course. The ability to measure drug concentrations by mass-spectrometry, has allowed investigators to follow the changes in plasma drug levels over time in individual mice1, 9, 10. In this study, paclitaxel was introduced into transgenic mice as a continuous arterial infusion over three hours, while blood samples were simultaneously taken by retro-orbital bleeds at set time points. Carotid artery infusions are a potential alternative to jugular vein infusions, when factors such as mammary tumors or other obstructions make jugular infusions impractical. Using this technique, paclitaxel concentrations in plasma and tissue achieved similar levels as compared to jugular infusion. In this tutorial, we will demonstrate how to successfully catheterize the carotid artery by preparing an optimized catheter for the individual mouse model, then show how to insert and secure the catheter into the mouse carotid artery, thread the end of the catheter out through the back of the mouse&#8217;s neck, and hook the mouse to a pump to deliver a controlled rate of drug influx. Multiple low volume retro-orbital bleeds allow for analysis of plasma drug concentrations over time.

This method was developed with the goal of delivering a steady drug solution via the carotid artery, to assess the pharmacokinetics of novel drugs in mouse models.

When proposing the use of a drug, drug combination, or drug delivery into a novel system, one must assess the pharmacokinetics of the drug in the study ...

A Simple Critical-sized Femoral Defect Model in Mice

While bone has a remarkable capacity for regeneration, serious bone trauma often results in damage that does not properly heal. In fact, one tenth of all limb bone fractures fail to heal completely due to the extent of the trauma, disease, or age of the patient. Our ability to improve bone regenerative strategies is critically dependent on the ability to mimic serious bone trauma in test animals, but the generation and stabilization of large bone lesions is technically challenging. In most cases, serious long bone trauma is mimicked experimentally by establishing a defect that will not naturally heal. This is achieved by complete removal of a bone segment that is larger than 1.5 times the diameter of the bone cross-section. The bone is then stabilized with a metal implant to maintain proper orientation of the fracture edges and allow for mobility. 
Due to their small size and the fragility of their long bones, establishment of such lesions in mice are beyond the capabilities of most research groups. As such, long bone defect models are confined to rats and larger animals. Nevertheless, mice afford significant research advantages in that they can be genetically modified and bred as immune-compromised strains that do not reject human cells and tissue.
Herein, we demonstrate a technique that facilitates the generation of a segmental defect in mouse femora using standard laboratory and veterinary equipment. With practice, fabrication of the fixation device and surgical implantation is feasible for the majority of trained veterinarians and animal research personnel. Using example data, we also provide methodologies for the quantitative analysis of bone healing for the model.

Animal models are frequently employed to mimic serious bone injury in biomedical research. Due to their small size, establishment of stabilized bone lesions in mice are beyond the capabilities of most research groups. Herein, we describe a simple method for establishing and analyzing experimental femoral defects in mice.

While bone has a remarkable capacity for regeneration, serious bone trauma often results in damage that does not properly heal. In fact, one tenth of all ...

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease. It offers better life expectancy and higher quality of life when compared to dialysis. Although the last few decades have seen major improvements in patient outcomes following kidney transplantation, the increasing shortage of available organs represents a severe problem worldwide. To expand the donor pool, marginal kidney grafts recovered from extended criteria donors (ECD) or donated after circulatory death (DCD) are now accepted for transplantation. To further improve the postoperative outcome of these marginal grafts, research must focus on new therapeutic approaches such as alternative preservation techniques, immunomodulation, gene transfer, and stem cell administration.
Experimental studies in animal models are the final step before newly developed techniques can be translated into clinical practice. Porcine kidney transplantation is an excellent model of human transplantation and allows investigation of novel approaches. The major advantage of the porcine model is its anatomical and physiological similarity to the human body, which facilitates the rapid translation of new findings to clinical trials. This article offers a surgical step-by-step protocol for an autotransplantation model and highlights key factors to ensure experimental success. Adequate pre- and postoperative housing, attentive anesthesia, and consistent surgical techniques result in favorable postoperative outcomes. Resection of the contralateral native kidney provides the opportunity to assess post-transplant graft function. The placement of venous and urinary catheters and the use of metabolic cages allow further detailed evaluation. For long-term follow-up studies and investigation of alternative graft preservation techniques, autotransplantation models are superior to allotransplantation models, as they avoid the confounding bias posed by rejection and immunosuppressive medication.

Porcine models of organ transplantation provide an important platform to study mechanisms of organ preservation. This article describes a heterotopic porcine renal autotransplantation model, which allows investigating new approaches to improve the outcome of transplantation using marginal kidney grafts.

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease. It offers better life expectancy and higher quality ...

A Step by Step Protocol for Subretinal Surgery in Rabbits

Age related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa, and other RPE related diseases are the most common causes for irreversible loss of vision in adults in industrially developed countries. RPE transplantation appears to be a promising therapy, as it may replace dysfunctional RPE, restore its function, and thereby vision.
Here we describe a method for transplanting a cultured RPE monolayer on a scaffold into the subretinal space (SRS) of rabbits. After vitrectomy xenotransplants were delivered into the SRS using a custom made shooter consisting of a 20-gauge metallic nozzle with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coated plunger. The current technique evolved in over 150 rabbit surgeries over 6 years. Post-operative follow-up can be obtained using non-invasive and repetitive in vivo imaging such as spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) followed by perfusion-fixed histology.
The method has well-defined steps for easy learning and high success rate. Rabbits are considered a large eye animal model useful in preclinical studies for clinical translation. In this context rabbits are a cost-efficient and perhaps convenient alternative to other large eye animal models.

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) replacement strategies and gene-based therapy are considered for several retinal degenerative conditions. For clinical translation, large eye animal models are required to study surgical techniques applicable in patients. Here we present a rabbit model for subretinal surgery geared towards RPE transplantation, which is versatile and cost-efficient.

Age related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa, and other RPE related diseases are the most common causes for irreversible loss of vision in ...

Creation of Abdominal Adhesions in Mice

Abdominal adhesions consist of fibrotic tissue that forms in the peritoneal space in response to an inflammatory insult, typically surgery or intraabdominal infection. The precise mechanisms underlying adhesion formation are poorly understood. Many compounds and physical barriers have been tested for their ability to prevent adhesions after surgery with varying levels of success. The mouse and rat are important models for the study of abdominal adhesions. Several different techniques for the creation of adhesions in the mouse and rat exist in the literature. Here we describe a protocol utilizing abrasion of the cecum with sandpaper and sutures placed in the right abdominal sidewall. The mouse is anesthetized and the abdomen is prepped. A midline laparotomy is created and the cecum is identified. Sandpaper is used to gently abrade the surface of the cecum. Next, several figure-of-eight sutures are placed into the peritoneum of the right abdominal sidewall. The abdominal cavity is irrigated, a small amount of starch is applied, and the incision is closed. We have found that this technique produces the most consistent adhesions with the lowest mortality rate.

Abdominal adhesions that form after surgery are a major cause of pain, infertility, and hospitalization and reoperation for small bowel obstruction. Our surgical procedure for creating abdominal adhesions in mice is a reliable tool to study the mechanisms underlying the formation of adhesions.

Abdominal adhesions consist of fibrotic tissue that forms in the peritoneal space in response to an inflammatory insult, typically surgery or ...

Perspiration monitoring can be utilized for the detection of certain diseases, such as thermoregulation and mental disorders, particularly when the patients are unaware of such disorders or are having difficulty expressing their symptoms. Until now, several devices for perspiration monitoring have been developed; however, such devices tend to have a relatively large exterior, considerable power consumption, and/or less sensitivity.
Recently, we developed a small, wireless device for perspiration monitoring. The device consists of a temperature/relative humidity (T/RH) sensor, battery-driven small data logger, and silica gel as a desiccant in a small cylindrical exterior. The T/RH sensor is placed between the detection windows (through which the water vapor from the skin enters) and the silica gel. The underlying principle of the perspiration monitoring device is based on Fick&#39;s law of diffusion, which means that water vapor flux from the skin to the silica gel (i.e.&#160;transepidermal water loss and perspiration) can be captured by change in humidity at the T/RH sensor. In addition, a baseline subtraction method was adopted to distinguish perspiration and transepidermal water loss.
As shown in the previous report, the developed device can monitor the perspiration at any sites of the body in an easy, wireless manner. However, detailed methods of how to use the device have not been disclosed yet. In this article, therefore, we would like to show the point-by-point tutorials of how to use the device for perspiration monitoring, by showing the sympathetic activity test with the sympathetic skin response monitoring as an example.

Recently, we developed a small wireless device for perspiration monitoring. In this article, we present detailed protocols on how to use the device for perspiration monitoring with an example of the sympathetic activity test.

Perspiration monitoring can be utilized for the detection of certain diseases, such as thermoregulation and mental disorders, particularly when the ...

Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is now widely used in neurosurgical critical patients. Besides mean ICP value, the ICP derived parameters such as ICP waveform, amplitude of pulse (AMP), the correlation of ICP amplitude and ICP mean (RAP), pressure reactivity index (PRx), ICP and arterial blood pressure (ABP) wave amplitude correlation (IAAC), and so on, can reflect intracranial status, predict prognosis, and can also be used as guidance of proper treatment. However, most of the clinicians focus only on the mean ICP value while ignoring these parameters because of the limitations of the current devices. We have recently developed a multimodality monitoring system to address these drawbacks. This portable, user-friendly system will use a data collecting and storing device to continuously acquire patients&#39; physiological parameters first, i.e., ABP, ICP, and oxygen saturation, and then analyze these physiological parameters. We hope that the multimodality monitoring system will be accepted as a key measure to monitor physiological parameters, to analyze the current clinical status, and to predict the prognosis of the neurosurgical critical patients.

Recently, we have developed a portable multimodality monitoring system for the monitoring of various physiological parameters in neurosurgical critical patients. Detailed protocols on how to use this multimodality monitoring system are presented here.

Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is now widely used in neurosurgical critical patients. Besides mean ICP value, the ICP derived parameters such as ...