This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82003692) to R.X. Zhang; Top Academic Scholarship at Northwestern Polytechnical University to R. Miao.

The procedures described below were performed as part of a protocol approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Northwestern Polytechnical University (No. 202101117).
1. Preoperative preparation (the day before the surgery)
NOTE: Required solutions: normal saline (0.9% w/v sodium chloride), heparinized saline (1% w/v heparin sodium), catheter lock solution, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as meloxicam solution (2 ...

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Mastering the technique of vessel cannulation requires significant practice and learning the lesson from each operation. Christakis et al. using cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis, found that a researcher needs to practice 200 rats over a period of one year before being ready for the PK evaluation of drug candidates20. Yet, the operating time required for the vein cannulation can be significantly reduced by the number of rats performed13,20. ...

Repeated acquisition of blood samples from small laboratory animals, such as rodents, guinea pigs, and rabbits, is an important aspect for pharmaceutical lead optimization and also for reducing the number of animals used in research1,2. The pipeline for developing new diagnostic tools and drug formulation (e.g., vaccine) requires access to different volumes of blood in order to evaluate their robustness and performance in vivo, such as pharmacokinetics (PK), toxicity, and sensitivity3,4,5.
The laboratory approach to blood sample collection is broadly classified into two types, surgical and nonsurgical6. The nonsurgical approach is relatively easy to grasp for the researcher, which includes common techniques, such as cardiac puncture, orbital sinus puncture, and bleeding of the saphenous and tail vein. Multiple blood sampling is possible by some non-surgical methods, but the sample volume is small and can cause physical wound and psychological stress to the animals1. On the other hand, the surgical approach is a favorite alternative to repeated venipuncture, and it involves placement of a temporary or permanent cannula in the blood vessels of animals7,8,9. The large blood volume could be repeatedly withdrawn through the cannula in conscious rats while avoiding the stress and pain due to the handling technique, restrain, and anesthesia7,8,10,11. However, the cannula implantation requires an experienced researcher with adequate training in order to successfully collect the blood.
Blood collection through jugular vein cannulation (JVC) in rats is the most widely used method to study the drug PK6,10,12,13. Yet, establishment of the JVC rat model needs careful practice of microsurgical skills and knowledge of postsurgical care and maintenance. Especially, after the surgery, the rat requires administration of analgesics and sufficient recovery time to reach stable physiological condition for further experiments13,14,15. Although the body weight gain (i.e., &#62;10 g) is a valid and commonly applied indicator for the rat&#39;s recovery, it is not uncommon that the rats have unexpected death postoperatively due to dehydration, infection, and inflammation, which could be subtle to notice at the early onset14,15. In addition, catheter obstruction in the JVC model remains to be an issue during the blood collection.
The present protocol has demonstrated in detail the microsurgical procedures for JVC in an anesthetized rat with specific focus on the identification, isolation, and cannulation of the jugular vein. The importance of physiological and hematological monitoring of the rats during the recovery phase is highlighted. Finally, serial blood samples were collected through the venous catheter to study the PK of the orally administered natural phenol ellagic acid with poor bioavailability (i.e., low systemic concentration) to verify the JVC rat model.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>0.5 mL test tube containing EDTA anticoagulant</td>
			<td>Xinkang</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>collecting blood samples for hematology test</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.5*20 mm 1.0-mL syringe</td>
			<td>KLMEDICAL</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>washing or replacing the fluid with saline</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.6*28.5 mm 5.0-mL syringe</td>
			<td>HD</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Subcutaneous injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.0-mL Blunt tipped syringe (22G)</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>S4-PKT22G</td>
			<td>Inject the saline and collect blood samples through catheter</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.5 mL sterile microcentrifuge tube</td>
			<td>Axygen</td>
			<td>MCT-150-C-S</td>
			<td>Store sterile catheter lock solution heparinized saline and meloxicam solution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.5&#160;mL microcentrifuge tubes</td>
			<td>Biosharp</td>
			<td>BS-15-M</td>
			<td>blood collection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1/2&#160; circle cutting 5*12 mm suture needle</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>S4-FHZ</td>
			<td>Thread the muscle layer to fix the catheter</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>3/8 circle cutting 7*17 mm suture needle</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>S5-FHZ</td>
			<td>Suture the incision of rat cortex</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6-0 sterile non-absorbable silk suture thread</td>
			<td>JUNSHENG</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>ligature</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>75% medical alcohol</td>
			<td>HONGSONG</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Disinfection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Adhensive tape</td>
			<td>LIUTAI</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>positioning the rat</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Autoclave sterilization tape</td>
			<td>Biosharp</td>
			<td>BS-QT-028</td>
			<td>Mark sterilized items</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Automated blood cell counter</td>
			<td>Sysmex</td>
			<td>XN-550</td>
			<td>Hematology test</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Castroviejo micro scissors</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>WA1010</td>
			<td>Cut the opening in the blood vessel</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrifuge</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>75002402</td>
			<td>Plasma preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Clean cushion</td>
			<td>Qingjie</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Prepare the operation area</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cotton balls</td>
			<td>HC</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Wound disinfection and sterilization</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cotton swabs</td>
			<td>BEITAGOGO</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Disinfection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Curved hemostat</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>ligature</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DN50 Stainless-steel rat restrainer</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>S4-RGDQ1</td>
			<td>Restrict the movement of rats for easy operation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ellagic acid</td>
			<td>Aladdin</td>
			<td>E102710-25g</td>
			<td>natural phenol for oral administration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Half-curved forceps</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>53072</td>
			<td>Lift the muscle layer and tissue, isolate the jugular vein and tie the suture</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heating pad</td>
			<td>Warm mate</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>preventing heat loss of animal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heparin sodium</td>
			<td>Solarbio</td>
			<td>H8060</td>
			<td>anticoagulant</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Iodophor</td>
			<td>Xidebao</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Clean the wound</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Iris scissors</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>54002</td>
			<td>Bluent separation the muscle layer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isoflurane</td>
			<td>RWD</td>
			<td>R510-22-16</td>
			<td>anaesthesia</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LED lamp</td>
			<td>EMPERORFEEL</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>sugery</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>VQF01-20001/ TSQ02-10002</td>
			<td>detection of drug concentration in plasma</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Meloxicam</td>
			<td>Hongqiang</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Analgesic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Normal saline</td>
			<td>KL</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Prepara the solution and protect blood vessels from drying out</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pet razor</td>
			<td>Codos</td>
			<td>3180</td>
			<td>Shaving the fur</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phosphate-buffered saline</td>
			<td>ZHHC</td>
			<td>PW012</td>
			<td>Preparation of Ellagic acid solution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PU catheter</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>RJVC-PU</td>
			<td>Jugular vein cannulation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Small animal operation anesthesia console</td>
			<td>RWD</td>
			<td>68620</td>
			<td>Operation workstation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Spray bottle</td>
			<td>Other</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>aseptic workstation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stainless steel plug (22G)</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>S4-PKD22G</td>
			<td>Plug the catheter to ensure its sealing</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stainless steel trochar</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>S$-PKDGZ</td>
			<td>Guide the catheter exteriorization</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sterile lock solution</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>SK-FB</td>
			<td>lock the catheter to ensure its sterility</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Straight feeding needle</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Oral gavage</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Surgical pouch</td>
			<td>BKMAM</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>container for sterilization of surgical instruments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Surgical scissors</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>J21070</td>
			<td>Cut incision on rat skin</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vessel dilator balanced forceps</td>
			<td>skillsmodel</td>
			<td>WA3020</td>
			<td>Expand the blood vessel and guide the cannula to slide in</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ZS-MV Small animal anesthesia machine</td>
			<td>ZSLab</td>
			<td>1057003</td>
			<td>inducing and maintaining anaesthesia</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

microsurgical skills of establishing permanent jugular vein cannulation in rats for serial blood sampling of orally administered drug

Blood sampling in small laboratory animals is necessary for pharmaceutical lead optimization but can cause great harm and stress to experimental animals, which could potentially affect results. The jugular vein cannulation (JVC) in rats is a widely used model for repeated blood collection but requires adequate training of surgery skills and animal care. This article details the microsurgical procedures for establishing and maintaining a permanent JVC rat model with specific focus on the placement and sealing of the jugular cannula. The importance of monitoring physiological (e.g., body weight, food, and water intake) and hematological parameters, was highlighted with results presented for 6 days post-surgery during the rat&#39;s recovery. The drug-plasma concentration-time profile of orally administered natural phenol ellagic acid was determined in the JVC rat model.

This protocol has thoroughly demonstrated how to establish a long-term JVC model using microsurgical skills for serial blood collection. Figure 1A shows the essential surgical instruments and materials used to conduct the surgery. The specification of PU catheter with three blue marks is also illustrated, which is helpful for guiding the researcher to place the vein cannula in step 3.3., how to use the marks on the PU catheter to guide the cannulation (Figure 1B...

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Microsurgical Skills of Establishing Permanent Jugular Vein Cannulation in Rats for Serial Blood Sampling of Orally Administered Drug

Detailed microsurgical techniques are demonstrated to establish a longer-term jugular vein cannulation rat model for sequential blood collection in the same animal. Physiological and hematological parameters have been monitored during the rat's recovery phase. This model has been applied to study pharmacokinetics of orally administered polyphenol without inducing animal stress.

Blood sampling in small laboratory animals is necessary for pharmaceutical lead optimization but can cause great harm and stress to experimental animals, ...

Repeated blood sampling from the small laboratory animal is an important aspect of pharmaceutical lead optimization. This protocol details the microsurgical skills to establish a permanent jugular vein cannulation rat model. This technique can efficiently establish a jugular vein cannulation rat model and repeatedly collect blood samples through the cannula in conscious rats while avoiding stress and pain.It's important to locate the jugular vein and its cannulation as the visual demonstration of anatomical complexity is not available for this model. To begin, prepare the aseptic workstation with 75%medical alcohol, then anesthetize the shaved rat with isoflurane mixed with oxygen. Subcutaneously inject meloxicam solution at a dose of two milligrams per kilogram, then carefully lift the skin near the clavicle on the right side of the midline of the neck with forceps, and using a pair of surgical scissors, make a 1.5 to 2 centimeter long incision towards the chest.For exposing the underneath jugular vein, use iris scissors to blunt dissect the thin tissue cover. The proximal cephalic end of the external jugular vein consists of two branches which can be visually identified. Lift the jugular vein along with its connective membraneous tissue to visualize the lymph gland attached to the jugular vein.Carefully separate the vein along the vascular direction from the surrounding muscle, fat, and other tissues. Nudge the forceps under the jugular vein without damaging the collateral blood vessels and pass two pieces of 6-0 suture under the vein to mark the two ends of the blood vessel individually. Pull one piece of the suture as far as possible toward the rat head and ligate the vein cranially with two to three knots using forceps.Place the second ligature on the caudal end of the vein with one loose knot. Attach an 11 centimeter polyurethane, or PU, catheter to the prepared blunt tip syringe filled with the heparinized saline, and slowly push the heparinized saline into the catheter to avoid air bubbles. Nudge the non-tip flat side of the forceps under the jugular vein to exit on the other side.Make a small V-shaped cut on the vein near the cranial tie with a pair of castroviejo microscissors, and gently opened the incision with the tip of the elbow vessel dilator forceps. Cut out the oblique opening of the front end of the jugular vein catheter. Plant the oblique end of the tube with forceps and slide it into the jugular vein.While advancing the catheter, slowly withdraw the elbow microsurgical forceps, and clamp the outer surface of the vessel with forceps. Stop inserting the catheter upon hitting the first blue mark of the PU tube, which is approximately three centimeters in length. Secure the inserted catheter to the vein with both caudal and rostral ligatures using forceps.Thread a 6-0 suture through the exposed tissue on the right side of the incision using a suture needle, and tie the ligature with a hemostat. Then bend the catheter at the second blue mark to bind with the same ligature and avoid occluding the PU tubing. After snipping all the extra suture thread, close the catheter by replacing the blunt tipped syringe with a 22 gauge stainless steel plug.Place the rat in the dorsal position and gently clean the area between the scapula with the cotton ball soaked in 75%medical alcohol. Using the surgical scissors, make a very small incision at the center of the dorsal neck. Through the dorsal incision, guide and gently push the trochar underneath the skin toward the ventral incision on the right side of the neck.Put the venous catheter into the trochar and then pull out and guide the venous catheter toward the dorsal incision. After securing the exteriorized catheter into the muscle layer, close the skin layer of the ventral and dorsal incisions with the 6-0 nylon suture and suture needle and swab all surgical incisions with iodophor. Next, remove the catheter plug by clasping the catheter with fingertips.Place a new blunt tip syringe and slowly draw back the syringe to test the blood flow. Hold the catheter again with fingertips. Inject 0.2 milliliters of heparinized saline and 0.1 milliliters of lock solution into the catheter using the blunt tip syringe, and then replace the syringe with a stainless steel plug.Unclamp the catheter and push the plug in slightly to ensure the tightness of the catheter. To collect blood samples for hematological tests, place the rat in a restrainer, open the plug, and insert the syringe into the venous PU catheter to ensure the catheter is not obstructed. Discard the initially withdrawn blood containing a mixture of blood, heparinized saline, and catheter lock solution.Using a new syringe, collect 150 microliters of fresh blood sample and transfer the blood sample to a 0.5 milliliter tube previously sprayed with K2EDTA. Inject 150 microliters of pre-warmed normal saline, and infuse 0.2 milliliters of sterile heparinized normal saline through the catheter. Inject 100 microliters of the lock solution into the catheter to ensure the sealing and sterility of the catheter before the next sample collection.In the current study, the physiological and hematological conditions over six days postoperatively were investigated. The majority of the rats recovered within four to six days post surgery as evidenced by body weight gain of more than 10 grams, regular food intake, selected blood components relating to infection, dehydration, and inflammation, including white blood cell, red blood cell, hemoglobin, and platelet count. Thus, the rats required a minimum of four to six days for recovery after the procedure.The large intake of water indicated dehydration on the first day post-operation. In addition, the pharmacokinetics of the natural polyphenol ellagic acid was studied in the established jugular vein cannulation rat model and the poor bioavailability of the ellagic acid was indicated by its low plasma concentration over 24 hours. Correct isolation of the jugular vein is the most important first step because the jugular vein embedded within other soft tissues may not be immediately visible to the researcher.Sequential blood sampling within the same animal can be performed in the established JVC rat model. It's a useful and robust tool to evaluate drug formulations performance in vivo.

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7.3K Views.  Northwestern Polytechnical University. Repeated blood sampling from the small laboratory animal is an important aspect of pharmaceutical lead optimization. This protocol details the microsurgical skills to establish a permanent jugular vein cannulation rat model. This technique can efficiently establish a jugular vein cannulation rat model and repeatedly collect blood samples through the cannula in conscious rats while avoiding stress and pain.It's important to locate the jugular vein and its cannulation as the visual demon...