Porcine Aorta Isolation: A Surgical Procedure to Excise the Thoracic Aorta From Miniature Pigs for Downstream Analysis

In pigs, the aorta is the largest artery, carrying oxygenated blood from the heart to the body. The aortic portion in the thorax is called the thoracic aorta, while the section moving through the abdomen is the abdominal aorta.

To harvest the thoracic aorta, first, prepare an anesthetized miniature pig in the supine position. Make an abdominal incision exposing the inferior vena cava - the major vein that transports deoxygenated blood from lower and middle body portions to the heart. Inject a suitable anticoagulant into the inferior vena cava to prevent blood clotting. Insert a catheter attached to a drain tube into the abdominal aorta to remove blood from the heart.

Dissect the chest skin and the diaphragm - the muscular structure separating the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity - to access the heart. Incise the left ventricle - the heart's main pumping chamber - to cease cardiac activity. Locate the thoracic aorta posterior to the heart and lungs. Clamp the ends of the aorta, and excise it from the surrounding tissues.

Wash the excised aorta with a suitable buffer to remove blood and tissue debris. Remove excess tissue surrounding the aorta. Transfer the aorta to a buffer-containing tube, ready for further downstream analysis.

After confirming a lack of response to pain reflex in the anesthetized pig, wash the porcine abdominal wall three times with 75% medical alcohol and one tincture of iodine. After the last wash, use a scalpel to make an abdominal incision to expose the inferior vena cava, and use a 5-milliliter syringe to inject 5,000 units of heparin sodium into the inferior vena cava.

After 5 minutes, insert a catheter into the abdominal aorta, and use a scalpel to incise the diaphragm. With the help of a second investigator, remove the left ventricle with the scalpel, and use bone forceps to excise the ribs to expose the heart and lungs. Locate the aorta posterior to the heart and lungs, and clamp the ends.

Use scissors to excise the aorta, and wash it one time with pre-cooled washing buffer. Remove any excess tissue around the aorta with sterile forceps and scissors, and place the vessel into a 50-milliliter centrifuge tube containing fresh, pre-cooled, washing buffer for transfer to the laboratory.