Intact Ovary Harvest from Mouse: A Surgical Procedure to Isolate Complete Ovary from Murine Model

Begin with an anesthetized female mouse in a right lateral position on a surgical platform. Next, shave the mouse’s abdomen and sterilize the area. Make a paralumbar skin incision and dissect the abdominal muscles to expose the abdominal cavity.

Now, locate one of the ovarian fat pads - the adipose tissue surrounding the ovaries.  The oviducts connect the ovaries to long tubular structures called the uterine horns. Further, gently exteriorize the ovary along with the ovarian fat pad, placing it on a wet gauze to keep the tissue hydrated.

Now, identify the ovarian bursa - the thin membrane encapsulating the ovary and end of the oviduct. Incise the bursa opposite the ovarian hilum, which forms the border between ovary and ovarian ligament. The ovarian ligament structurally connects ovary to the uterine horn.

After exposing the ovary, gently remove it from the ovarian bursa and clamp at the ovarian hilum to excise the ovary. Transfer the excised ovary into a culture plate containing chilled saline.

Store the intact mouse ovary composed of functional units - the ovarian follicles, each containing an oocyte, until further use.