This work was supported, in part, by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01 HL152683 and R21 AI126097 to Q. Li) and by American Heart Association Grant-in-Aid 17GRNT33460395 (to Q. Li) (heart.org).

All procedures performed on animals were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (Protocol # 1512071A).
1. Collection of fresh fecal pellets
<ol>
	<li>Prepare sterile paper towels, blunt-end forceps, and 50 mL conical tubes.
	<ol>
		<li>Place some paper towels and forceps in separate autoclave bags and autoclave them at 180 &#176;C in dry heat for 30 min. Use sterile conical tubes as well. Weigh the conical tubes and write down their weight on the tubes.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Turn on the biosafety cabinet in the animal room.</li>
	<li>Take an autoclaved clean mouse cage without any bedding and place it in the biosafety cabinet. Remove the cover and the food rack and place them inside the cabinet.</li>
	<li>Place some sterile paper towels on the bottom of the cage and place the metal rack back on top of the cage.</li>
	<li>Identify age-matched fecal donors and place the mouse cage in the biosafety cabinet. Open the cage and gently grab a donor mouse (C57BL/6J) by the tail and place it on the metal rack on top of the clean cage.</li>
	<li>Place the cage cover on top of the rack and wait for the animal(s) to defecate. 
	NOTE: Put a few mouse littermates on the rack simultaneously.</li>
	<li>Collect the fecal pellets and put them in a sterile 50 mL conical tube. Pool the pellets by sex. Do not mix fecal pellets collected from males and females.</li>
	<li>Weight the tube again and calculate the weight of the fecal pellets.</li>
</ol>
2. Preparation of fecal suspension
<ol>
	<li>Prepare a sterile solution (10% glycerol in normal saline).</li>
	<li>Add 10 mL of 10% glycerol/normal saline to the conical tube for each gram of fecal pellets. 
	NOTE: Increase the solution volume to 20 mL if necessary. This study used 1 mL of solution for each pellet (5-10 mg) as well.</li>
	<li>Homogenize the mixture at a low speed with a benchtop homogenizer or a blender inside a fume hood to resuspend the feces (3 X 30 s).</li>
	<li>Filter the fecal suspension through 2 layers of sterile cotton gauze (10.2 cm x 10.2 cm). Store the filtrate temporarily in a refrigerator for up to 6 h or package it into sterile cryogenic vials and store it in a -80 &#176;C freezer.</li>
	<li>Thoroughly clean the homogenizer or blender following a standard procedure.</li>
</ol>
3. Administration of fecal suspension by oral gavage
<ol>
	<li>Thaw the frozen fecal suspension on ice if using frozen samples. Mix the thawed fecal suspension by vortexing.</li>
	<li>Transfer the fresh or thawed fecal suspension to 1 mL syringes. 
	NOTE: Each mouse will receive a total of 200 &#181;L of fecal suspension, and each IL-10-/- mouse in the control group will get 200 &#181;L of 10% glycerol/normal saline17.</li>
	<li>Weigh the mice and choose the right gavage needle size and maximum dosage volume. 
	NOTE: For mice with a bodyweight between 20-25 grams, use a 20 G 3.81 cm curved gavage needle with a 2.25 mm ball. Please check gavageneedle.com for more information.</li>
	<li>Test the gavage needle by measuring the length from the tip of the mouse&#39;s nose to the xiphoid process (bottom of the sternum). Fill the syringe with 10% glycerol/saline or fecal suspension and remove air bubbles inside the syringe and the needle. 
	NOTE: If the needle is longer than the length, put a mark on the needle shaft/tubing at the level of the nose. Do not pass the needle/tubing through the animal past that point to prevent gastric perforation.</li>
	<li>Place one mouse cage in the biosafety cabinet, remove the plastic cage cover, and leave the metal rack in place.</li>
	<li>Grab one mouse by the tail and put it on the metal rack. Hold the mouse by the tail with one hand and use the thumb and middle fingers of another hand to restrain the animal by grasping the skin over the shoulders. This way, the forelegs are stretched out to the side, which will prevent the front feet from pushing the needle out. Gently extend the animal&#39;s head backward and hold the head in place with one hand. 
	NOTE: Practice mouse handling until the experimenter has full confidence before proceeding to the experiment.</li>
	<li>Place the gavage needle on top of the tongue inside the mouth. Gently advance along the upper palate until the needle reaches the esophagus. Pass the needle smoothly in one motion. Do not force the needle if any resistance is felt. Take the needle out and try again.</li>
	<li>Once the needle is properly placed and verified, slowly administer the material by pushing the syringe attached to the needle. Do not rotate the needle or push the needle forward, which may rupture the esophagus. After dosing, gently pull the needle out.</li>
	<li>Return the mouse to its home cage. Monitor the animal for 5-10 min by looking for signs of labored breathing or distress. Monitor the mice again between 12-24 h after the FMT.</li>
</ol>
4. Disease monitoring and euthanasia
<ol>
	<li>Monitor the mice longitudinally for IBD onset by occult fecal blood and/or colonoscopy21. Evaluate heart function by trans-thoracic echocardiography22,23.</li>
	<li>Euthanize the animals by decapitation under a deep plane of anesthesia with isoflurane (1%-4%).</li>
	<li>Collect the blood in microcentrifuge tubes with anticoagulant and centrifuge at 1000-2000 x g for 10 min in a refrigerated centrifuge (4 &#176;C). Save the supernatant, designated plasma in a -80&#176;C freezer.</li>
	<li>Upon euthanization, prepare the mouse colon using the Swiss-roll technique24 for histopathologic analysis (H&#38;E staining)25.</li>
	<li>Measure B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in plasma using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kit23.</li>
</ol>

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FDA Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/safety-alert-regarding-use-fecal-microbiota-tramsplantation-and-risk-serious-adverse-events-likely">https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/safety-alert-regarding-use-fecal-microbiota-tramsplantation-and-risk-serious-adverse-events-likely</a> (2020)</li></ol>

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

As an innovative investigational treatment, FMT has become a hot topic in the treatment of various disorders in recent years since dysbiosis of the commensal microbiota is implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple human diseases, including IBD, obesity, diabetes mellitus, autism, heart disease, and cancer26. Although the mechanism has not been determined, it is believed that FMT works by building a new biological flora and preventing the loss of residual bacteria. The method presented herein adop...

The human intestinal micro-ecosystem is extremely complex, with more than 1000 species of bacteria in the intestine of a healthy person1. The intestinal flora is involved in maintaining the normal physiological functions of the intestine and the immune response and has an inseparable relationship with the human body. Accumulating evidence suggests that the intestinal microbiome constitutes the last human organ, which is part of the human body, not just a group of parasites2. A &#39;healthy&#39; symbiotic relationship between the gut microbiota, their metabolites, and the host immune system established in early life is critical to maintaining gut homeostasis. In some abnormal conditions such as chronic inflammation, changes in the internal and external environment of the body seriously disrupt the gut homeostasis, resulting in a persistent imbalance of the gut&#39;s microbial community, named dysbiosis3. In fact, exposure to multiple environmental factors, including diet, drugs, and pathogens, can lead to changes in the microbiota.
Dysbiosis is associated with the pathogenesis of a variety of intestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and pseudomembranous enteritis, as well as a growing list of extra-intestinal disorders, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and allergy4. Microbiota profiling revealed that patients with IBD have a dramatic decrease in bacterial diversity, as well as marked alterations in the populations of some specific bacterial strains5,6. These studies demonstrated less Lachnospiraceae and Bacteroidetes but more Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria in IBD patients. It is believed that the pathogenesis of IBD is related to various pathogenic factors, including abnormal intestinal flora, dysregulated immune response, environmental challenges, and genetic variants7.Abundant evidence suggests that intestinal bacteria play a role in the initiation and application phases of IBD8,9, indicating that correcting gut dysbiosis may represent a novel approach for the therapy and/or maintenance treatment of IBD.
The prototype of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) began in ancient China10. In 1958, Dr. Eiseman and his colleagues successfully treated four cases of severe pseudomembranous enteritis with fecal matter from healthy donors via enema, opening a new chapter in modern Western medicine using human feces to treat human diseases11. Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been found to be the main cause of pseudomembranous enteritis12 and FMT is highly effective in the treatment of CDI. In the last eight years, FMT has become a standard-of-care therapy for the treatment of recurrent CDI13, prompting further studies investigating the role of FMT in other disorders, such as IBD. Over the past twenty years, numerous case reports and cohort studies have documented the use of FMT in patients with IBD14. A meta-analysis, including 12 trials, showed that 62% of patients with Crohn&#39;s disease (CD) achieved clinical remission after FMT, and 69% of CD patients had clinical response15. Despite these encouraging findings, the role of FMT in the management of IBD remains uncertain, and the mechanisms by which FMT ameliorates intestinal inflammation are poorly understood. Further investigation is necessary before FMT can join the current armamentarium of treatment options for IBD in the clinics.
In this protocol, we applied FMT on IL-10-/- mice, which develop colitis spontaneously after weaning and have served as a gold standard to mirror the multifactorial nature of IBD16,17,18.&#160;IL-10&#8722;/&#8722; mice have been extensively used to dissect IBD etiology because they present similar molecular and histological features to IBD patients, and, like patients, the disease can be ameliorated with anti-TNF&#945; therapy16. Aging IL10&#8722;/&#8722; mice (&#62;9 months of age) have an increased heart size and impaired cardiac function compared to age-matched wild-type mice19, making it an excellent model for studying colitis-induced heart diseases. However, other murine models of colitis, such as the dextran sodium sulfate model and the T-cell-induced colitis model, can be used as well. We administered fecal suspension via oral gavage, proven to be an effective and better route than enema in humans20.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Syringe, 1 mL</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>14-829-10F</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Blunt end forceps</td>
			<td>Knipex</td>
			<td>926443</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Brain natriuretic peptide EIA kit</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>RAB0386</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>C57BL/6J mice</td>
			<td>Jackson Lab</td>
			<td>000664</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrifuge</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>5415R</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Conical tubes</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>339650</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Curved feeding Needles</td>
			<td>Kent Scientific</td>
			<td>FNC-20-1.5-2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GLH-115 homogenizer</td>
			<td>Omni International</td>
			<td>GLH-115</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glycerol</td>
			<td>MilliporeSigma</td>
			<td>G5516</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>IL-10 knockout mice</td>
			<td>Jackson Lab</td>
			<td>004366</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isoflurane</td>
			<td>Piramal Critical care</td>
			<td>NDC66794-017-10</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>USP normal saline</td>
			<td>Grainger</td>
			<td>6280</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vaporizer</td>
			<td>Euthanex Corp.</td>
			<td>EZ-108SA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

therapeutic evaluation of fecal microbiota transplantation in an interleukin 10-deficient mouse model

With the development of microecology in recent years, the relationship between intestinal bacteria and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has attracted considerable attention. Accumulating evidence suggests that dysbiotic microbiota plays an active role in triggering or worsening the inflammatory process in IBD and that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an attractive therapeutic strategy since transferring a healthy microbiota to IBD patient could restore the appropriate host-microbiota communication. However, the molecular mechanisms are unclear, and the efficacy of FMT has not been very well established. Thus, further studies in animal models of IBD are necessary. In this method, we applied FMT from wild-type C57BL/6J mice to IL-10 deficient mice, a widely used mouse model of colitis. The study elaborates on collecting fecal pellets from the donor mice, making the fecal solution/suspension, administering the fecal solution, and monitoring the disease. We found that FMT significantly mitigated the cardiac impairment in IL-10 knockout mice, underlining its therapeutic potential for IBD management.

We performed healthy donor FMT 3 times (once a month for 3 months) on 2-month old C57BL/6J wild type (WT) and IL-10 knockout mice. Age-matched C57BL/6J mice (age difference should be &#60;2 months) served as the fecal donors and fresh fecal pellets were used each time. EIA assays revealed that BNP was markedly elevated in the plasma of IL-10-deficiency mice and that healthy donor FMT significantly mitigated the increase in BNP levels (Figure 1A, n = 5, p &#60; 0.05). Echocardiograph...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Therapeutic Evaluation of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in an Interleukin 10-Deficient Mouse Model at JoVE.com

Therapeutic Evaluation of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in an Interleukin 10-Deficient Mouse Model

The interaction of genetic susceptibility, mucosal immunity, and intestinal microecological environment is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, we applied fecal microbiota transplantation to IL-10 deficient mice and investigated its impact on colonic inflammation and heart function.

With the development of microecology in recent years, the relationship between intestinal bacteria and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has attracted ...

therapeutic-evaluation-fecal-microbiota-transplantation-an

Research

JoVE Journal

Immunology and Infection

2.6K Views.  University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The interaction of genetic susceptibility, mucosal immunity, and intestinal microecological environment is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, we applied fecal microbiota transplantation to IL-10 deficient mice and investigated its impact on colonic inflammation and heart function.

Video: Therapeutic Evaluation of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in an Interleukin 10-Deficient Mouse Model

Murine Model of CD40-activation of B cells

Research on B cells has shown that CD40 activation improves their antigen presentation capacity. When stimulated with interleukin-4 and CD40 ligand (CD40L), human B cells can be expanded without difficulties from small amounts of peripheral blood within 14 days to very large amounts of highly-pure CD40-B cells (&gt;109 cells per patient) from healthy donors as well as cancer patients1-4. CD40-B cells express important lymph node homing molecules and can attract T cells in vitro5. Furthermore they efficiently take up, process and present antigens to T cells6,7. CD40-B cells were shown to not only prime na&iacute;ve, but also expand memory T cells8,9. Therefore CD40-activated B cells (CD40-B cells) have been studied as an alternative source of immuno-stimulatory antigen-presenting cells (APC) for cell-based immunotherapy1,5,10. In order to further study whether CD40-B cells induce effective T cell responses in vivo and to study the underlying mechanism we established a cell culture system for the generation of murine CD40-activated B cells. Using splenocytes or purified B cells from C57BL/6 mice for CD40-activation, optimal conditions were identified as follows: Starting from splenocytes of C57BL/6 mice (haplotype H-2b) lymphocytes are purified by density gradient centrifugation and co-cultured with HeLa cells expressing recombinant murine CD40 ligand (tmuCD40L HeLa)11. Cells are recultured every 3-4 days and key components such as CD40L, interleukin-4, -Mercaptoethanol and cyclosporin A are replenished. In this protocol we demonstrate how to obtain fully activated murine CD40-B cells (mCD40B) with similar APC-phenotype to human CD40-B cells (Fig 1a,b). CD40-stimulation leads to a rapid outgrowth and expansion of highly pure (&gt;90%) CD19+ B cells within 14 days of cell culture (Fig 1c,d). To avoid contamination with non-transfected cells, expression of the murine CD40 ligand on the transfectants has to be controlled regularly (Fig 2). Murine CD40-activated B cells can be used to study B-cell activation and differentiation as well as to investigate their potential to function as APC in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, they represent a promising tool for establishing therapeutic or preventive vaccination against tumors and will help to answer questions regarding safety and immunogenicity of this approach12.

In this video, we demonstrate the procedure of CD40-activation and expansion of murine B cells from splenocytes of C57BL/6 mice, which can be used as a model antigen-presenting cell (APC) to study induction of immunity.

Research on B cells has shown that CD40 activation improves their antigen presentation capacity. When stimulated with interleukin-4 and CD40 ligand ...

Neutrophil Isolation and Analysis to Determine their Role in Lymphoma Cell Sensitivity to Therapeutic Agents

Neutrophils are the most abundant (40% to 75%) type of white blood cells and among the first inflammatory cells to migrate towards the site of inflammation. They are key players in the innate immune system and play major roles in cancer biology. Neutrophils have been proposed as key mediators of malignant transformation, tumor progression, angiogenesis and in the modulation of the antitumor immunity; through their release of soluble factors or their interaction with tumor cells. To characterize the specific functions of neutrophils, a fast and reliable method is coveted for in vitro isolation of neutrophils from human blood. Here, a density gradient separation method is demonstrated to isolate neutrophils as well as mononuclear cells from the blood. The procedure consists of layering the density gradient solution such as Ficoll carefully above the diluted blood obtained from patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), followed by centrifugation, isolation of mononuclear layer, separation of neutrophils from RBCsby dextran then lysis of residual erythrocytes. This method has been shown to isolate neutrophils &#8805; 90 % pure. To mimic the tumor microenvironment, 3-dimensional (3D) experiments were performed using basement membrane matrix such as Matrigel. Given the short half-life of neutrophils in vitro, 3D experiments with fresh human neutrophils cannot be performed. For this reason promyelocytic HL60 cells are differentiated along the granulocytic pathway using the differentiation inducers dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and retinoic acid (RA). The aim of our experiments is to study the role of neutrophils on the sensitivity of lymphoma cells to anti-lymphoma agents. However these methods can be generalized to study the interactions of neutrophils or neutrophil-like cells with a large range of cell types in different situations.

Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cells. The isolation of neutrophils from human blood by density gradient separation method and the differentiation of human promyelocytic (HL60) cells along the granulocytic pathway are described here; to test their role on sensitivity of lymphoma cells to anti-lymphoma agents.

Neutrophils are the most abundant (40% to 75%) type of white blood cells and among the first inflammatory cells to migrate towards the site of ...

In Vitro and In Vivo Assessment of T, B and Myeloid Cells Suppressive Activity and Humoral Responses from Transplant Recipients

The main concern in transplantation is to achieve specific tolerance through induction of regulatory cells. The understanding of tolerance mechanisms requires reliable models. Here, we describe models of tolerance to cardiac allograft in rat, induced by blockade of costimulation signals or by upregulation of immunoregulatory molecules through gene transfer. Each of these models allowed in vivo generation of regulatory cells such as regulatory T cells (Tregs), regulatory B cells (Bregs) or regulatory myeloid cells (RegMCs). In this manuscript, we describe two complementary protocols that have been used to identify and define in vitro and in vivo regulatory cell activity to determine their responsibility in tolerance induction and maintenance. First, an in vitro suppressive assay allowed rapid identification of cells with suppressive capacity on effector immune responses in a dose dependent manner, and can be used for further analysis such as cytokine measurement or cytotoxicity. Second, the adoptive transfer of cells from a tolerant treated recipient to a newly irradiated grafted recipient, highlighted the tolerogenic properties of these cells in controlling graft directed immune responses and/or converting new regulatory cells (termed infectious tolerance). These methods are not restricted to cells with known phenotypic markers and can be extended to any cell population. Furthermore, donor directed allospecificity of regulatory cells (an important goal in the field) can be assessed by using third party donor cells or graft either in vitro or in vivo. Finally, to determine the specific tolerogenic capacity of these regulatory cells, we provide protocols to assess the humoral anti-donor antibody responses and the capacity of the recipient to develop humoral responses against new or former known antigens. The models of tolerance described can be used to further characterize regulatory cells, to identify new biomarkers, and immunoregulatory molecules, and are adaptable to other transplantation models or autoimmune diseases in rodent or human.

In Vitro and In Vivo Assessment of T, B and Myeloid Cells Suppressive Activity and Humoral Responses from Transplant Recipients

Here, we present a protocol to induce tolerance in transplantation, and assess in vitro and in vivo the suppressive capacity of distinct cell subsets from the recipient and the immune status of the recipient toward donor or exogenous antigens.

The main concern in transplantation is to achieve specific tolerance through induction of regulatory cells. The understanding of tolerance mechanisms ...

An In Vitro Batch-culture Model to Estimate the Effects of Interventional Regimens on Human Fecal Microbiota

The emerging role of the gut microbiome in several human diseases demands a breakthrough of new tools, techniques and technologies. Such improvements are needed to decipher the utilization of microbiome modulators for human health benefits. However, the large-scale screening and optimization of modulators to validate microbiome modulation and predict related health benefits may be practically difficult due to the need for large number of animals and/or human subjects. To this end, in vitro or ex vivo models can facilitate preliminary screening of microbiome modulators. Herein, it is optimized and demonstrated an ex vivo fecal microbiota culture system that can be used for examining the effects of various interventions of gut microbiome modulators including probiotics, prebiotics and other food ingredients, aside from nutraceuticals and drugs, on the diversity and composition of the human gut microbiota. Inulin, one of the most widely studied prebiotic compounds and microbiome modulators, is used as an example here to examine its effect on the healthy fecal microbiota composition and its metabolic activities, such as fecal pH and the fecal levels of organic acids including lactate and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The protocol may be useful for studies aimed at estimating the effects of different interventions of modulators on fecal microbiota profiles and at predicting their health impacts.

This protocol describes an in vitro batch-culture fermentation system of human fecal microbiota, using inulin (a well-known prebiotic and one of the most widely studied microbiota modulators) to demonstrate the use of this system in estimating effects of specific interventions on fecal microbiota composition and metabolic activities.

The emerging role of the gut microbiome in several human diseases demands a breakthrough of new tools, techniques and technologies. Such improvements are ...

An Immunological Model for Heterotopic Heart and Cardiac Muscle Cell Transplantation in Rats

Heterotopic heart transplantation in rats has been a commonly used model for diverse immunological studies for more than 50 years. Several modifications have been reported since the first description in 1964. After 30 years of performing heterotopic heart transplantation in rats, we have developed a simplified surgical approach, which can be easily taught and performed without further surgical training or background.
After dissection of the ascending aorta and the pulmonary artery and ligation of superior and inferior caval and pulmonary veins, the donor heart is harvested and subsequently perfused with ice-cold saline solution supplemented with heparin. After clamping and incising the recipient abdominal vessels, the donor ascending aorta and pulmonary artery are anastomosed to the recipient abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava, respectively, using continuous running sutures.
Depending on different donor-recipient combinations, this model allows analyses of either acute or chronic rejection of allografts. The immunological significance of this model is further enhanced by a novel approach of in-ear injection of vital cardiac muscle cells and subsequent analysis of draining cervical lymphatic tissue.

We describe a model of heterotopic abdominal heart transplantation in rats, implying modifications of current strategies, which lead to a simplified surgical approach. Additionally, we describe a novel rejection model by in-ear injection of vital cardiac muscle cells, allowing further transplant immunological analyses in rats.

Heterotopic heart transplantation in rats has been a commonly used model for diverse immunological studies for more than 50 years. Several modifications ...

Optimization of the Cuff Technique for Murine Heart Transplantation

Murine cardiac transplantation has been performed for more than 40 years. With advancements in microsurgery, certain new techniques have been used to improve surgical efficiency. In our lab, we have optimized the cuff technique with two major steps. First, we used the inner tube technique to insert a temporary inner tube into the external jugular vein and carotid artery blood vessel to facilitate eversion of the vessel over the cuff. Second, we performed complete heterotopic cardiac transplantation through the collaboration of two experienced surgeons. These modifications effectively reduced the operation time to 25 minutes, with a success rate of 95%. In this report, we describe these procedures in detail and provide a supplemental video. We believe that this report on the improved cuff technique will offer practical guidance for murine heterotopic heart transplantation and will enhance the utility of this mouse model for basic research.

We introduce an inner tube approach to the cuff technique for mouse cervical heterotopic heart transplantation to help evert the vessel over the cuff. We found that cooperation between two experienced surgeons markedly shortens the operation time.

Murine cardiac transplantation has been performed for more than 40 years. With advancements in microsurgery, certain new techniques have been used to ...

Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis: An Intraocular Inflammatory Mouse Model

Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis (EAU) is driven by immune cells responding to self-antigens. Many features of this non-infectious, intraocular inflammatory disease model recapitulate the clinical phenotype of posterior uveitis affecting humans. EAU has been used reliably to study the efficacy of novel inflammatory therapeutics, their mode of action and to further investigate the mechanisms that underpin disease progression of intraocular disorders. Here, we provide a detailed protocol on EAU induction in the C57BL/6J mouse - the most widely used model organism with susceptibility to this disease. Clinical assessment of disease severity and progression will be demonstrated using fundoscopy, histological examination and fluorescein angiography. The induction procedure involves subcutaneous&#160;injection of an emulsion containing a peptide (IRBP1-20) from the ocular protein interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (also known as retinol binding protein 3), Complete Freund&#39;s Adjuvant (CFA) and supplemented with killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Injection of this viscous emulsion on the back of the neck is followed by a single intraperitoneal injection of Bordetella pertussis toxin. At the onset of symptoms (day 12-14) and under general anesthesia, fundoscopic images are taken to assess disease progression through clinical examination. These data can be directly compared with those at later timepoints and peak disease (day 20-22) with differences analyzed. At the same time, this protocol allows the investigator to assess potential differences in vessel permeability and damage using fluorescein angiography. EAU can be induced in other mouse strains - both wildtype or genetically modified - and combined with novel therapies offering flexibility for studying drug efficacy and/or disease mechanisms.

In this report we present a protocol that allows the investigator to generate a mouse model of intraocular uveitis. More commonly referred to as experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), this established model captures many aspects of human disease. Herein, we will describe how to induce and monitor disease progression using several readouts.

Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis (EAU) is driven by immune cells responding to self-antigens. Many features of this non-infectious, intraocular ...

Fecal (micro) RNA Isolation

It is becoming clear that RNA exists in the gut lumen and feces in animals and humans. The protocol described below isolates total RNA including microRNAs from fecal samples of animal and human subjects. The aim is to isolate total RNA with high purity and quantity for downstream analyses such as RNA sequencing, RT-PCR, and micro-array. The advantages of this optimized protocol in the miRNA isolation are capabilities of isolating highly purified RNA products with additional washing steps described, increased quantity of RNA obtained with an improved method in the resuspension of sample, and important tips of decontamination. One limitation is the inability to process and purify larger sample of more than 200 mg as these sample sizes would cause a difficulty in the clear formation of the interphase. Consequently, the large sample size may contaminate the aqueous phase to be extracted as described in the protocol with organic matters that affect the quality of RNA isolated in the end. However, RNA isolates from a sample of up to 200 mg are sufficient for most of downstream analyses.

Fecal micro RNA Isolation

This protocol isolates high quality total RNA from fecal samples of animal and human subjects. A commercial miRNA isolation kit is used with significant adaption to isolate pure RNA with optimized quantity and quality. The RNA isolates are good for most downstream RNA assays such as sequencing, micro-array, and RT-PCR.

It is becoming clear that RNA exists in the gut lumen and feces in animals and humans. The protocol described below isolates total RNA including microRNAs ...

Purification and Expansion of Mouse Invariant Natural Killer T Cells for in vitro and in vivo Studies

Invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells are innate-like T Lymphocytes expressing a conserved semi-invariant T cell receptor (TCR) specific for self or microbial lipid antigens presented by the non-polymorphic MHC class I-related molecule CD1d. Preclinical and clinical studies support a role for iNKT cells in cancer, autoimmunity and infectious diseases. iNKT cells are very conserved throughout species and their investigation has been facilitated by mouse models, including CD1d-deficient or iNKT-deficient mice, and the possibility to unequivocally detect them in mice and men with CD1d tetramers or mAbs specific for the semi-invariant TCR. However, iNKT cells are rare and they need to be expanded to reach manageable numbers for any study. Because the generation of primary mouse iNKT cell line in vitro has proven difficult, we have set up a robust protocol to purify and expand splenic iNKT cells from the iV&#945;14-J&#945;18 transgenic mice (iV&#945;14Tg), in which iNKT cells are 30 times more frequent. We show here that primary splenic iV&#945;14Tg iNKT cells can be enriched through an immunomagnetic separation process, yielding about 95-98% pure iNKT cells. The purified iNKT cells are stimulated by anti-CD3/CD28 beads plus IL-2 and IL-7, resulting in 30-fold expansion by day +14 of the culture with 85-99% purity. The expanded iNKT cells can be easily genetically manipulated, providing an invaluable tool to dissect mechanisms of activation and function in vitro and, more importantly, also upon adoptive transfer in vivo.

We describe a rapid and robust protocol to enrich invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells from mouse spleen and expand them in vitro to suitable numbers for in vitro and in vivo studies.

Invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells are innate-like T Lymphocytes expressing a conserved semi-invariant T cell receptor (TCR) specific for self or ...

Partial Heterotopic Hindlimb Transplantation Model in Rats

Vascularized composite allotransplantations (VCA) represent the most advanced reconstruction option for patients without autologous surgical possibilities after a complex tissue defect. Face and hand transplantations have changed disfigured patients' lives, giving them a new aesthetic and functional social organ. Despite promising outcomes, VCA is still underperformed due to life-long immunosuppression comorbidities and infectious complications. The rat is an ideal animal model for in vivo studies investigating immunological pathways and graft rejection mechanisms. Rats are also widely used in novel composite tissue graft preservation techniques, including perfusion and cryopreservation studies. Models used for VCA in rats must be reproducible, reliable, and efficient with low postoperative morbidity and mortality. Heterotopic limb transplantation procedures fulfill these criteria and are easier to perform than orthotopic limb transplants. Mastering rodent microsurgical models requires solid experience in microsurgery and animal care. Herein is reported a reliable and reproducible model of partial heterotopic osteomyocutaneous flap transplantation in rats, the postoperative outcomes, and the means of prevention of potential complications.

This paper presents a partial heterotopic osteomyocutaneous flap transplantation protocol in rats and its potential outcomes in the mid-term follow-up.

Vascularized composite allotransplantations (VCA) represent the most advanced reconstruction option for patients without autologous surgical possibilities ...