Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Ligation for Venous Thrombosis Analysis in Mouse

To begin, use a pair of fine scissors to make an incision on the abdominal skin of an anesthetized mouse, starting from the xiphoidal eminence to the bladder. With a pair of atraumatic forceps, pinch the peritoneum halfway along the skin incision, ensuring an adequate gap between the incision and the overlying intestines. Next, open the peritoneum longitudinally along the avascular linea alba.

Then use wet cotton tips to pull out the intestines carefully. Then drop 200 to 300 microliters of normal saline over the intestines, and explore the route of the ureters inferior vena cava, or IVC, aorta, and renal veins. Cauterize the bilateral branches distal to the confluence of the left renal vein and infrarenal inferior vena cava.

Check the ureters and vasculature for any oozing. To prevent potential complications of spinal ischemia and claudication, leave the lumbar branches intact. Check for the side branches, including the bilateral uterine horn and hypogastric vessels.

Next, use a closed tip atraumatic forceps to gently pass a six-zero polypropylene suture through the avascular plane two to three times. Apply gentle pressure with a cotton tip tamponade to control any oozing. Finally, pass a five-zero polypropylene suture through the plane with gentle coddle to cranial movements to widen it.

Place the vascular clamps over the suture to guarantee adequate space. Clot weights of the xenografted experimental group displayed a 1.5 fold increase relative to the control mice. Immunofluorescence assays showed that the IVC from the control group had intact CD31 and fibrin partially occupying the vessel lumen.

The CD31 expression was not intact in the experimental group, with the wall showing fibrin staining. The control group had significantly lower fibrin expression compared to the experimental group. Ultrasonic graphic analysis of the mice showed the ligated infrarenal vena cava of a control group mouse had a partial clot.

The experimental group, however, had a large clot nearly occluding the infrarenal vena cava.