O.A.-W. is supported by an NIH K08 Clinical Investigator Award (1K08CA160647-01), a U.S. Department of Defense Postdoctoral Fellow Award in Bone Marrow Failure Research (W81XWH-12-1-0041), the Josie Roberston Investigator Program, and a Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award with Support from the Evan&#8217;s Foundation.

All animal procedures described in this protocol were conducted in accordance with the Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUCs) at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
1. Aspiration of Bone Marrow (BM) Cells from the Femur
<ol>
	<li>Anesthetize the mouse which will undergo femoral bone marrow aspiration with isoflurane (1-4%) administered with a precision vaporizer. Depth of anesthesia should be mon...

<ol>
	<li>Sundberg, R., Hodgson, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Aspiration+of+bone+marrow+in+laboratory+animals.">Aspiration of bone marrow in laboratory animals.</a> Blood. 4, 557-561 (1949).</li><li>Schmitz, M., Bourquin, J. -. P., Bornhauser, B. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Alternative+technique+for+intrafemoral+injection+and+bone+marrow+sampling+in+mouse+transplant+models.">Alternative technique for intrafemoral injection and bone marrow sampling in mouse transplant models.</a> Leukemia &amp; lymphoma. 52, 1806-1808 (2011).</li><li>Warner, J. K., 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=Direct+evidence+for+cooperating+genetic+events+in+the+leukemic+transformation+of+normal+human+hematopoietic+cells.">Direct evidence for cooperating genetic events in the leukemic transformation of normal human hematopoietic cells.</a> Leukemia. 19, 1794-1805 (2005).</li><li>Chiu, P. P., Jiang, H., Dick, J. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Leukemia-initiating+cells+in+human+T-lymphoblastic+leukemia+exhibit+glucocorticoid+resistance.">Leukemia-initiating cells in human T-lymphoblastic leukemia exhibit glucocorticoid resistance.</a> Blood. 116, 5268-5279 (2010).</li><li>Guan, Y., Gerhard, B., Hogge, D. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Detection,+isolation,+and+stimulation+of+quiescent+primitive+leukemic+progenitor+cells+from+patients+with+acute+myeloid+leukemia+(AML).">Detection, isolation, and stimulation of quiescent primitive leukemic progenitor cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).</a> Blood. 101, 3142-3149 (2003).</li><li>Nolta, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+gold+standard+improves:+a+better+assay+for+HSCs.">The gold standard improves: a better assay for HSCs.</a> Blood. 106, 1141-1142 (2005).</li><li>Kiel, M. J., 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=SLAM+family+receptors+distinguish+hematopoietic+stem+and+progenitor+cells+and+reveal+endothelial+niches+for+stem+cells.">SLAM family receptors distinguish hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and reveal endothelial niches for stem cells.</a> Cell. 121, 1109-1121 (2005).</li><li>Purton, L., Scadden, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Limiting+factors+in+murine+hematopoietic+stem+cell+assays.">Limiting factors in murine hematopoietic stem cell assays.</a> Cell stem cell. 1, 263-270 (2007).</li><li>Dykstra, B., 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=Long-term+propagation+of+distinct+hematopoietic+differentiation+programs+in+vivo.">Long-term propagation of distinct hematopoietic differentiation programs in vivo.</a> Cell stem cell. 1, 218-229 (2007).</li><li>Jordan, C., Lemischka, I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Clonal+and+systemic+analysis+of+long-term+hematopoiesis+in+the+mouse.">Clonal and systemic analysis of long-term hematopoiesis in the mouse.</a> Genes &amp; development. 4, 220-232 (1990).</li><li>Challen, G., 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=Dnmt3a+is+essential+for+hematopoietic+stem+cell+differentiation.">Dnmt3a is essential for hematopoietic stem cell differentiation.</a> Nature genetics. 44, 23-31 (2012).</li><li>Hess, D. 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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Serial BM aspiration is a routine procedure critical to clinical investigation of hematologic disorders in humans. The ability to perform an analogous serial sampling of BM in mice for characterization of the cellular composition and constituents of BM throughout lengthy experiments is likewise very valuable. This procedure is useful for characterization of HSPC&#8217;s without sacrificing the mouse but also for detecting the presence of additional cell types in the BM in instances where the contents of the peripheral bl...

All blood cells are derived from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Procedures which allow access to the bone marrow (BM), the site of the vast majority of HSC&#8217;s in mice and men, without requiring sacrifice of animals, provide a resource to monitor the source of hematopoiesis serially. The overall goal of the procedure described here is to provide a detailed protocol for the sampling of BM cells from the femur of live mice which provides material representative of the cells which would be retrieved by conventional harvest of BM cells through sacrifice of the mice. The advantage of this procedure over conventional harvest of BM cells is that this procedure does not require the sacrifice of mice and therefore allows for longitudinal study of the bone marrow compartment of mice over time. 
Although this murine bone marrow aspiration procedure has been used in a number of studies and described previously (see Sundberg et al. for a historical review1), formal step-by-step procedures illustrating this technique have not been previously published. This protocol enables routine serial sampling of the BM for purposes such as assessing engraftment in the BM of cells exogenously introduced into the mouse (as would be done in xenograft studies for instance2,3), analysis of chimerism in the BM for comparison with that of the peripheral blood (where results are not necessarily congruent), monitoring the abundance of specific cell types normally enriched in the marrow such as hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and retrieval of BM cells for ex vivo culture and/or transplantation. In addition, evaluation of marrow contents may be very useful in murine models of hematological disease as aspiration is helpful in assessing hematological disease burden at time points when disease may not be evident in the peripheral blood3-5. Moreover, this technique may be used to evaluate response of hematologic disease in the marrow to drugs administered in therapeutic studies. Thus, the procedure described here is ideal for investigators wishing to obtain access to bone marrow hematopoietic cells from mice for cytological analysis, flow cytometric analysis, in vitro culturing, and/or in vivo transplantation studies without requiring sacrifice or harm to the mice. 
The protocol for sampling of BM described here is quite similar to the technique used for intra-femoral injection of material directly into the marrow cavity3,6. The key difference being that this protocol details the procedure for removal of cells from the marrow as opposed to instilling material directly into the marrow cavity space as is done with intrafemoral injection.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="963">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">PBS</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">PAA</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">H15-002</td>
			<td style="width:407px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">Bovine Serum Albumin</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">PAA</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">K41-001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">ACK lysis buffer</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Homemade</td>
			<td style="width:117px;"></td>
			<td>in 1 L. Adjust pH 7.2 ~ 7.4 and filter sterile with 0.22 &#956;m vacuum filter.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">8.3 g Ammonium Chloride</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">A661-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">1 g Potassium Bicarbonate</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">P184-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">200 &#956;l 0.5M EDTA pH 8</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">15575-038</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">RPMI 1640</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">PAA</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">E15-842</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">0.5ml Tuberculin cyringe 27G 1/2</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">305620</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">Sterile cell strainer 70 &#956;m</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">22363548</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:269px;">Isoflurane, USP</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Attane</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">NDC:66794-014-25</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">Blunt-End Needle</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Stemcell Technologies</td>
			<td>28110</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">PrecisionGlide needle 23G</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">305193</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">3ml syringe Luer-Lok Tip</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">309657</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:269px;">Non-Tissue Culture Treated Plate, 6 Well</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">351146</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">12 x 75 mm 5 ml tubes&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">352054</td>
			<td>FACS staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:269px;">12 x 75 mm 5 ml tubes with cell-strainer cap</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">352235</td>
			<td>FACS staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">NK1.1 APC-Cy7</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>108723</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">CD11b APC-Cy7</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>101225</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">CD45R (B220) APC-Cy7</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>103223</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">CD3 APC-Cy7</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">100222</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">Ly-6G and Ly-6C (Gr-1) APC-Cy7</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">108423</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">Ter119 APC-Cy7</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>116223</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">CD19 APC-Cy7</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>302217</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">CD4 APC-Cy7</td>
			<td>BioLegend</td>
			<td>317417</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">CD117 (c-KIT) PE</td>
			<td>BioLegend</td>
			<td>105808</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">Ly-6A/E (Sca-1) PE-Cy7</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">122513</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">CD34 APC</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">128612</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">CD16/32 e450</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">eBioscience</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">48-0161-82</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:269px;">DAPI (4&#8242;,6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride)</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>32670</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:269px;">MethoCult GF M3434</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">STEMCELLTECHNOLOGIES</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">3434</td>
			<td>For methocellulose culture</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:269px;">Carprofen</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Crescent Chemical Company</td>
			<td>C11045850</td>
			<td>1 dose (5mg/kg)&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:269px;">Flow Cytometer, LSRFortessa</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td style="width:117px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:269px;">Puralube Vet Ointment (Sterile Petrolatum Ophthalmic Ointment)</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Dechra-US</td>
			<td style="width:117px;">17033-211-38</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

femoral bone marrow aspiration in live mice

Serial sampling of the cellular composition of bone marrow (BM) is a routine procedure critical to clinical hematology. This protocol describes a detailed step-by-step technical procedure for an analogous procedure in live mice which allows for serial characterization of cells present in the BM. This procedure facilitates studies aimed to detect the presence of exogenously administered cells within the BM of mice as would be done in xenograft studies for instance. Moreover, this procedure allows for the retrieval and characterization of cells enriched in the BM such as hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) without sacrifice of mice. Given that the cellular composition of peripheral blood is not necessarily reflective of proportions and types of stem and progenitor cells present in the marrow, procedures which provide access to this compartment without requiring termination of the mice are very helpful. The use of femoral bone marrow aspiration is illustrated here for cytological analysis of marrow cells, flow cytometric characterization of the hematopoietic stem/progenitor compartment, and culture of sorted HSPCs obtained by femoral BM aspiration compared with conventional marrow harvest.

Femoral BM aspiration of a live C57/B6 mouse was utilized to obtain BM mononuclear cells followed by conventional BM harvest of the same mouse after sacrifice. BM mononuclear cells obtained by the two methods were then analyzed by (1) cytological analysis of BM cells, (2) determining the relative frequency of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), and (3) ex vivo culture of sorted HSPCs. In the latter experiment, lineage-negative Sca1+ c-KIT+ (LSK) cells were sorted from mononuclear cells obtained by BM as...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Femoral Bone Marrow Aspiration in Live Mice at JoVE.com

Femoral Bone Marrow Aspiration in Live Mice

This protocol describes a procedure for serial sampling of femoral bone marrow (BM) without requiring the sacrifice of mice. This procedure facilitates longitudinal studies of the BM composition of mice over time and provides serial access to cells within the BM for ex vivo and transplantation studies.

Serial sampling of the cellular composition of bone marrow (BM) is a routine procedure critical to clinical hematology. This protocol describes a detailed ...

femoral-bone-marrow-aspiration-in-live-mice

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37.5K Görüntüleme.  Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. This protocol describes a procedure for serial sampling of femoral bone marrow (BM) without requiring the sacrifice of mice. This procedure facilitates longitudinal studies of the BM composition of mice over time and provides serial access to cells within the BM for ex vivo and transplantation studies.