Establishment of an Oronasal Fistula Mice Model

Summary

This article outlines a step-by-step procedure for establishing a mice model with an oronasal fistula. The oronasal fistula was created by employing heated ophthalmologic cautery to damage the midline portion of the hard palate, resulting in the formation of an opening between the oral and nasal cavities.

Abstract

This study presents a method utilizing heated ophthalmologic cautery to develop a viable model for investigating oronasal fistulas. C57BL/6 mice were used to establish the oronasal fistula (ONF) model. To create the ONF, the mice were anesthetized, immobilized, and their hard palates were exposed. During the surgical procedure, a 2.0 x 1.5 mm full-thickness mucosal injury was induced in the midline of the hard palate using ophthalmologic cautery. It was crucial to control the size of the ONF and minimize bleeding in order to ensure the success of the experiment. Verification of the ONF model's effectiveness was conducted on the 7th-day post-operation, encompassing both anatomical and functional assessments. The presence of the nasal septum within the oral cavity and the outflow of sterile water from the nostrils upon injection into the oral cavity confirmed the successful establishment of the ONF model. The model demonstrated a practical and successful oronasal fistula, characterized by a low mortality rate, significant weight changes, and minimal variation in ONF size. Future studies may consider adopting this methodology to elucidate the mechanisms of palate wound healing and explore novel treatments for oronasal fistulas.

Introduction

Oronasal fistula (ONF), an abnormal opening between the oral and nasal cavities, clinically manifests as a defect in a structural area from the alveolar process to the uvula, which commonly occurs as a complication following cleft palate repair¹. Patients with ONF experience food reflux, articulation disorders, and impaired velopharyngeal function, significantly impacting their quality of life^2,3,4. The rate of post-operative ONF ranges from 2.4% to 55% due to factors such as cleft width, Veau type, and surgical method^5,

Protocol

All animal procedures in this study were reviewed and approved by the Ethical Committee of the West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University. Adult C57BL/6 mice (female) were used for the present study.

1. Surgical preparation

1. Gather the necessary surgical instruments for the procedure: germinator, ophthalmologic cautery, microsurgical scissors, microsurgical tweezers, syringes, and needles (26 g x  0.63 inch) (Figure 1A

Discussion

Researchers have explored various materials, drugs, and novel techniques for treating ONF^{10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17}. With advancements in surgical procedures, the incidence and recurrence of ONF have been reduced. However, due to the unique characteristics of .......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Germinator	Electron Microscopy Sciences	66118-20	Heating and disinfection equipment
Latex gloves	Allmed		or similar
Lights	Olympus	A1813
Meloxicam	MedChemExpress	HY-B0261	crushed; 5 mg/kg
Microsurgical instruments (scissors and tweezers)	Jiangsu Tonghui Medical Devices Co.	M-Y-0087	Surgical instrument
Ophthalmologic cautery	Suqian Wenchong Medical Equipment Co.	1.00234E+13	Surgical instrument
Sterile cotton,	Yancheng Begu Technology Co.		or similar
Sterile metal foil	Biosharp		or similar
Sterile sheets	3M	XH003801129	or similar
Surgical drapes	Yancheng Begu Technology Co.		or similar
Syringes	Yancheng Begu Technology Co.	S-015301	or similar
Tape	Bkmamlab		or similar
Temperature maintenance device	Harvard Apparatus	LE-13-2104
Zoletil50	Virbac		80 mg/kg