This work was supported by the Sichuan Science and Technology Program (23ZYZYTS0120), the West China Hospital of Stomatology Sichuan University grants (RD-03-202011), and the Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2022NSFSC0614). The figures were created with BioRender. com.

All animal procedures in this study were reviewed and approved by the Ethical Committee of the West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University (WCHSIRB-D-2024-499). Twenty-four eight-week-old C57BL/6 mice (female, body weight 25-30 g) were used for the present study. The details of the reagents and the equipment used are listed in the Table of Materials.
1. Preparing equipment and mouse before burn injury
<ol>
	<li>Acquire the animals and house them in cages for 7 days upon arrival to allow them to acclimatize to the environment.</li>
	<li>Sterilize the working area by spraying and wiping with 70% ethanol (v/v). Cover the operation table with sterile surgical absorbent pads.</li>
	<li>Adjust the temperature of the digital heating device to 97 &#176;C. The heating device consists of three parts (Figure 1). 
	NOTE: Temperature from 50-450 &#176;C can be adjusted through the temperature controller (Figure 1A). The stand base is used to place the tip (Figure 1B), which can be dismantled (Figure 1C) to replace different instrument sizes. Disinfect the tip with iodophor or alcohol.</li>
	<li>Anesthetize the mouse with 5% isoflurane in 100% oxygen in an induction chamber for 3 min (flow rate: 4 L/min) until breathing has slowed. Assess the depth of anesthesia by using a toe pinch test. 
	NOTE: Inhaling isoflurane may lead to drowsiness and harm the cardiovascular system. It is essential to wear protective equipment and handle it within a fume hood in a well-ventilated area.</li>
	<li>Once the mouse is deeply anesthetized, transfer it to a heated pad in a prone position to maintain warmth and prevent hypothermia during recovery from anesthesia. Reduce the isoflurane to 1. 5% oxygen for maintenance via a nose cone.</li>
	<li>Apply lubricating gel to both eyes of the mouse with a cotton swab to prevent corneal drying.</li>
</ol>
2. Inducing full-thickness burn injury
NOTE: The general process of burn induction and analysis is shown in Figure 2.
<ol>
	<li>Shave the skin of the mouse with an electric shaver over an area of approximately 5 cm long and 4 cm wide from the neck to the tail. Work gently to avoid injuring the skin upon shaving (Figure 3C).</li>
	<li>Use a cotton-tipped applicator to apply depilatory cream on the shaved skin area for 3 min (Figure 3D). 
	NOTE: Avoid applying the depilatory cream to other parts of the mouse to prevent burns, which can be hard to detect. The cream caused skin rashes if used for more than 5 min. The precise duration for optimal efficacy varies among products and should be determined by the operator.</li>
	<li>Wipe off the cream using damp gauze until cream and hair are not detected. Disinfect the surgical area with chlorhexidine scrub followed by 70% ethanol (v/v) three times each. Clean and dry the area with sterile gauze.</li>
	<li>Employ a sterilized 1 mL pipette tip with a diameter of 9 mm (Figure 3A) dipped in sterilized ink to pinpoint the desired wounding sites accurately. The murine dorsal skin is characterized by an uneven topography. Defining the wound area apart from the spinal cord of mice is essential to ensure repeatability.</li>
	<li>Cover the skin with a previously trimmed sterile drape, leaving the surgical area free (Figure 3). Put on heat-resistant gloves and check the temperature of the digital heating device. Prior to and after burn induction, sanitize the device&#39;s tip with 70% ethanol (v/v).</li>
	<li>Apply the tip of the heating device to the center of located wound sites (97 &#176;C for 10 s) to create six round wounds with a diameter of 4 mm (Figure 3B). The interval between adjacent burns is 0.5-1 cm. Determine the number of burns according to the experimental design. 
	NOTE: The burn is caused mainly by heat conduction; therefore, it is unnecessary to exert pressure on the rod, i.e., keep it in contact with the skin by gravity while burn induction. There were six burns for the experimental design. This is the maximum number of burn wounds that can be built according to the device we used and the area of the mouse dorsum. Multiple replicates of the same experimental group can be achieved on this basis.</li>
</ol>
3. Post-burn care and measurement
<ol>
	<li>Apply ice to the burn wound for 5 min to reduce potential pain for pain management (Figure 3G).</li>
	<li>Turn off the isoflurane, and remove the nose cone after the burn injury. Transfer the mouse to a heating pad until the mouse moves normally (e.g., not crouched or shivering).</li>
	<li>Place each mouse in a recovery cage to prevent them from scratching each other. Soften some food pellets by adding 5-10 drops of drinking water to each pellet and place them on the cage floor to make feeding easier. 
	NOTE: Sterilizing the cages by spraying and wiping with 70% ethanol(vol/vol). The bedding should be replaced regularly to keep the mice warm and to absorb urine.</li>
	<li>Administer buprenorphine (0.1 mg/kg) subcutaneously in a caudal location twice daily for a total of 3 days, ensuring at least 8 h between injections.</li>
	<li>Clean all wounds with sterile gauze moistened with saline after 24 h of burn induction. Blot the skin with gauze and apply a small amount of antibacterial gel (TKH hydrogel) using a syringe to cover the burn wound12,14. Repeat this procedure on days 3, 7, and 10 thereafter.</li>
	<li>Use a breathable, transparent dressing to cover the wounds. The size of the dressing should cover about 1 cm around the wound and should not cover the area without hair removal. 
	NOTE: Change the wound dressing at least once every 2 days. Prolonged use of the dressing without replacement may lead to wound infection with pus formation, resulting in delayed wound healing.</li>
	<li>Throughout the follow-up period, measure the weight every 2-3 days. Generally, mice that lose 15%-20% of their initial body weight should be sacrificed and removed from the experiment.</li>
</ol>
4. Wound collection
<ol>
	<li>At 0, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days, mark the wound with the tip of a sterile 1 mL pipette tip, and record it with a digital camera.</li>
	<li>Euthanize the mice by overdose of anesthesia and cervical dislocation (following institutionally approved protocols). 
	NOTE: Be cautious during the cervical dislocation to avoid excessive pulling, which may damage the dorsum wounds.</li>
	<li>With scissors, isolate the wound site and surrounding skin, including the underlying musculature (1 cm x 1 cm). Prepare for at least three samples for each group.</li>
	<li>Fix the skin specimens in 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA) for 24 h and store at 4 &#176;C. The fixative volume must be 30 times the tissue volume15,16. 
	NOTE: PFA is hazardous. Ensure to work in a well-ventilated area and use appropriate protective equipment.</li>
</ol>
5. Wound healing evaluation
<ol>
	<li>Wash the wound tissue twice with PBS and spread it with filter paper, which should be trimmed to an appropriate size (Figure 2H). Due to the presence of some mucous content within the subcutaneous tissue layer, it adheres to the surface of the filter paper without movement or tissue curling.
	<ol>
		<li>Put the filter paper and sample into a tissue cassette for paraffin dehydration to obtain relatively smooth tissue samples and then embed the tissue15,16. Store samples at 4 &#176;C. 
		NOTE: Stretch the tissue as much as possible and avoid any folding, as these folds will become permanent after fixation.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Cut the paraffin-embedded samples to sections of 5 &#181;m thickness and stain slides via H&#38;E and Masson&#39;s trichrome for evaluating the extent of granulation tissue, angiogenesis formation, and collagen deposition, providing evidence to assess the different stages and the progression of the wound healing17,18.</li>
	<li>Capture images of all samples using a microscope with a 40x objective.</li>
	<li>Use compatible software to analyze the stained skin section, including the epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous tissue, and muscle condition.</li>
</ol>

Consistent Burn Injury Model in Mice for Evaluating Therapeutic Dressings

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

For burn studies, in vitro models typically focus on the inhibitory effects of local antimicrobial agents or antibiotics on bacteria associated with burns, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa19, as well as the impact of various biomaterials (like elastin, silk, and hydrogel dressings14,20) on post-burn inflammatory cells (such as neutrophils, macrophages) or stem cells (like mesenchymal stem ...

Burns are considered one of the critical injuries to the skin, caused by heat exposure, electricity, chemical materials, and radiation exposure1,2. It can be classified into four degrees depending on the depth of the injury, ranging from the epidermis to the full thickness of the skin, and even the muscles and bones. Small burns can lead to scar formation and increase the risk of infection. A large area of burn injury not only causes local damage, but also stimulates disorders of the body&#39;s heart, kidneys, and other organs or systems through severe and long-term inflammation and immune responses, leading to serious systemic consequences and high morbidity3. Most burn injury survivors are accompanied by long-lasting physical disabilities, emotional distress, and decreased quality of life4,5. Therefore, it is important to study the pathological process of burns and the mechanisms of regeneration of burned tissue.
Involved in immune responses, tissue regeneration, and systematic homeostasis, in vitro studies could not comprehensively investigate the pathological process of burn wound healing. Thus, over the past two decades, in order to explore potential therapeutic interventions, different burn wound healing animal models were developed to replicate the various features of burn injury6,7. Burn wounds are usually produced on the dorsum surface of pigs, rats, mice, rabbits, and other animals after hair removal. The burn time can last for 3 s to 30 s to form partial to full thickness thermal damage with a range of 5% to 30% total body surface area(TBSA)8. There are currently no standardized models of these methods in burn animal research due to the high variability of the techniques used. Methods used to produce burned surfaces vary among experimental animal models, including gas flame9, burning ethanol bath10, pre-heated single metal plate/bar11,12, boiling or hot water13,14. However, the technique of burn infliction and produced burn depth are often inconsistent and poorly described in previous studies, which is crucial in determining the severity of the burn and method of burn treatment.
This study aims to develop a simple, cost-effective, and user-friendly mouse burn animal model for creating consistent full-thickness burns in simulated clinical scenarios. In this protocol, we used a convenient digital heating device to control the depth of the burn by adjusting the temperature applied to the skin. The tip of this device can be switched to different sizes to induce thermal burns with varying ranges of TBSA. This allows for the creation of a chessboard-like burn wound on the mouse&#39;s back, enabling the comparison of several experimental and control treatments within the same animal. We observed and recorded the wound closure process. Skin samples were harvested for histologic evaluation (Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&#38;E) staining and Masson&#39;s trichrome staining) at different stages of wound healing. This approach reduces the number of animals used in the experiment and, therefore, cuts down on economic costs while being more compatible with animal ethics. This study will provide researchers with essential tools to facilitate the development of novel treatments for burn injury and reveal the pathophysiological mechanisms of burn wound healing.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>1 mL pipette tip</td>
			<td>KIRGEN,USA</td>
			<td>KG1333</td>
			<td>Used to locate burn wound sites</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>3 M Tegaderm film</td>
			<td>3M,USA</td>
			<td>1624WCN 6 cm x 7 cm</td>
			<td>For the wound cover after burn induction</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>4% paraformaldehyde(PFA)</td>
			<td>Biosharp,China</td>
			<td>BL539A</td>
			<td>Used to fix the skin samples</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Buprenorphine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich,USA</td>
			<td>PHR8955-50MG</td>
			<td>For the pain management of the mice</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>C57BL/6 mice</td>
			<td>Chengdu Dashuo experimental animal company,China</td>
			<td>none</td>
			<td>For the establishment of burn model</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Depilatory cream</td>
			<td>Veet,China</td>
			<td>&#8212;</td>
			<td>For the dorsum hair removal of the mice</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Digital Heating Device</td>
			<td>Shenzhen Kapper Technology Company,China</td>
			<td>No.936D</td>
			<td>For the burn induction of the mice</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Electric shaver</td>
			<td>AUX,China</td>
			<td>AUX-A5</td>
			<td>For the dorsum hair removal of the mice</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Filter paper</td>
			<td>&#8212;</td>
			<td>&#8212;</td>
			<td>Used to unfold of the skin samples</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GraphPad software</td>
			<td>&#8212;</td>
			<td>GraphPad prism 9.5.0</td>
			<td>For the analysis of burn wound area</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heat-resistant gloves</td>
			<td>&#8212;</td>
			<td>&#8212;</td>
			<td>Used to hold the digital heating device tip</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hematoxylin and Eosin Stain kit</td>
			<td>Solarbio,China</td>
			<td>G1120</td>
			<td>For the histological analysis of the slides</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ImageJ software</td>
			<td>&#8212;</td>
			<td>ImageJ 1.54f</td>
			<td>For the analysis of burn wound area</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isoflurane</td>
			<td>RWD,China</td>
			<td>R510-22-10</td>
			<td>For the anesthesia of the mice</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Masson&#39;s Trichrome Stain Kit</td>
			<td>Solarbio,China</td>
			<td>G1340</td>
			<td>For the histological analysis of the slides</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microscope</td>
			<td>Olympus,Japan&#160;</td>
			<td>VS200 ASW</td>
			<td>Used to scan the H&#38;E and Masson stained slides</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tissue cassette</td>
			<td>CITOTEST LABWARE MANUFACTURING Co., LTD,China</td>
			<td>31050102W</td>
			<td>For tissue paraffin dehydration and paraffin embedding</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
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chessboard-like burn wound healing model of mice based on digital heating device

Severe burn injuries are among the most traumatic and physically debilitating conditions, impacting nearly every organ system and resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality. Given their complexity and the involvement of multiple organs, various animal models have been created to replicate different facets of burn injury. Methods used to produce burned surfaces vary among experimental animal models. This study describes a simple, cost-effective, and user-friendly mouse burn model for creating consistent full-thickness burns using a digital heating device. The tip of this device was applied to the dorsum of mice for 10 s at 97 &#176;C to establish a chessboard-like burn and examine wound healing under the treatment of an experimental dressing. Skin samples were collected for histological analysis, including Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&amp;E) staining and Masson's staining. Wound healing was assessed through analysis of the wound area and microscopic examination of inflammatory infiltration, re-epithelialization, and granulation tissue formation. The mouse burn injury model can serve as a fundamental tool in studying the pathophysiology of thermal injuries and evaluating therapeutic interventions.

In this protocol, chessboard-like burn wounds were created with a burn duration of 10 s at 97 &#176;C by the digital heating device (Figure 1). The device&#39;s tip is made of pure copper, which is known for its excellent heat conduction and fast heating capabilities. The grip held by the experimenter is made of polycarbonate material, which provides heat resistance and non-flammability. Compared to the pre-heated single metal plate/bar or boiling or hot water methods, this device demonstrat...

Chessboard-like Burn Wound Healing Model of Mice Based on Digital Heating Device

A streamlined protocol is presented for establishing a burn wound healing model in mice using a digital heating device. The chessboard-like experimental sites created on the skin facilitate further functional analysis for the wound healing assay.

Severe burn injuries are among the most traumatic and physically debilitating conditions, impacting nearly every organ system and resulting in ...

chessboard-like-burn-wound-healing-model-mice-based-on-digital

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

274 Views.  Sichuan University. A streamlined protocol is presented for establishing a burn wound healing model in mice using a digital heating device. The chessboard-like experimental sites created on the skin facilitate further functional analysis for the wound healing assay.

Video: Chessboard-like Burn Wound Healing Model of Mice Based on Digital Heating Device

Production of Transgenic Xenopus laevis by Restriction Enzyme Mediated Integration and Nuclear Transplantation

Stable integration of cloned gene products into the Xenopus genome is necessary to control the time and place of expression, to express genes at later stages of embryonic development, and to define how enhancers and promoters regulate gene expression within the embryo. The protocol demonstrated here can be used to efficiently produce transgenic Xenopus laevis embryos. This transgenesis approach involves three parts: 1. Sperm nuclei are isolated from adult X. laevis testis by treatment with lysolecithin, which permeabilizes the sperm plasma membrane. 2. Egg extract is prepared by low speed centrifugation, addition of calcium to cause the extract to progress to interphase of the cell cycle, and a high-speed centrifugation to isolate interphase cytosol. 3. Nuclear transplantation: the nuclei and extract are combined with the linearized plasmid DNA to be introduced as the transgene and a small amount of restriction enzyme. During a short reaction, egg extract partially decondenses the sperm chromatin and the restriction enzyme generates chromosomal breaks that promote recombination of the transgene into the genome. The treated sperm nuclei are then transplanted into unfertilized eggs. Integration of the transgene usually occurs prior to the first embryonic cleavage such that the resulting embryos are not chimeric. These embryos can be analyzed without any need to breed to the next generation, allowing for efficient and rapid generation of transgenic embryos for analyses of promoter and gene function. Adult X. laevis resulting from this procedure also propagate the transgene through the germline and can be used to generate lines of transgenic animals for multiple purposes.

Production of Transgenic Xenopus laevis by Restriction Enzyme Mediated Integration and Nuclear Transplantation

This video protocol demonstrates a method for generating transgenic Xenopus laevis by introduction of transgenes into sperm nuclei followed by nuclear transplantation into unfertilized eggs.

Stable integration of cloned gene products into the Xenopus genome is necessary to control the time and place of expression, to express genes at later ...

Visualizing Cytoplasmic Flow During Single-cell Wound Healing in Stentor coeruleus

Although wound-healing is often addressed at the level of whole tissues, in many cases individual cells are able to heal wounds within themselves, repairing broken cell membrane before the cellular contents leak out. The giant unicellular organism Stentor coeruleus, in which cells can be more than one millimeter in size, have been a classical model organism for studying wound healing in single cells. Stentor cells can be cut in half without loss of viability, and can even be cut and grafted together. But this high tolerance to cutting raises the question of why the cytoplasm does not simply flow out from the size of the cut. Here we present a method for cutting Stentor cells while simultaneously imaging the movement of cytoplasm in the vicinity of the cut at high spatial and temporal resolution. The key to our method is to use a &#34;double decker&#34; microscope configuration in which the surgery is performed under a dissecting microscope focused on a chamber that is simultaneously viewed from below at high resolution using an inverted microscope with a high NA lens. This setup allows a high level of control over the surgical procedure while still permitting high resolution tracking of cytoplasm.

Visualizing Cytoplasmic Flow During Single-cell Wound Healing in Stentor coeruleus

The giant ciliate Stentor coeruleus is a classical system for studying regeneration and wound healing in single cells.&#160;By imaging Stentor cells simultaneously at low and high magnification it is possible to measure cytoplasmic flows before, during, and after wounding.

Although wound-healing is often addressed at the level of whole tissues, in many cases individual cells are able to heal wounds within themselves, ...

Magnetic-Activated Cell Sorting Strategies to Isolate and Purify Synovial Fluid-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells from a Rabbit Model

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the main cell source for cell-based therapy. MSCs from articular cavity synovial fluid could potentially be used for cartilage tissue engineering. MSCs from synovial fluid (SF-MSCs) have been considered promising candidates for articular regeneration, and their potential therapeutic benefit has made them an important research topic of late. SF-MSCs from the knee cavity of the New Zealand white rabbit can be employed as an optimized translational model to assess human regenerative medicine. By means of CD90-based magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) technologies, this protocol successfully obtains rabbit SF-MSCs (rbSF-MSCs) from this rabbit model and further fully demonstrates the MSC phenotype of these cells by inducing them to differentiate to osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes. Therefore, this approach can be applied in cell biology research and tissue engineering using simple equipment and procedures.

This article presents a simple and economic protocol for the straightforward isolation and purification of mesenchymal stem cells from New Zealand white rabbit synovial fluid.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the main cell source for cell-based therapy. MSCs from articular cavity synovial fluid could potentially be used for ...

Micron-scale Phenotyping Techniques of Maize Vascular Bundles Based on X-ray Microcomputed Tomography

It is necessary to accurately quantify the anatomical structures of maize materials based on high-throughput image analysis techniques. Here, we provide a 'sample preparation protocol' for maize materials (i.e., stem, leaf, and root) suitable for ordinary microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) scanning. Based on high-resolution CT images of maize stem, leaf, and root, we describe two protocols for the phenotypic analysis of vascular bundles: (1) based on the CT image of maize stem and leaf, we developed a specific image analysis pipeline to automatically extract 31 and 33 phenotypic traits of vascular bundles; (2) based on the CT image series of maize root, we set up an image processing scheme for the three-dimensional (3-D) segmentation of metaxylem vessels, and extracted two-dimensional (2-D) and 3-D phenotypic traits, such as volume, surface area of metaxylem vessels, etc. Compared with traditional manual measurement of vascular bundles of maize materials, the proposed protocols significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of micron-scale phenotypic quantification.

We provide a novel method to improve the X-ray absorption contrast of maize tissue suitable for ordinary microcomputed tomography scanning. Based on CT images, we introduce a set of image-processing workflows for different maize materials to effectively extract microscopic phenotypes of vascular bundles of maize.

It is necessary to accurately quantify the anatomical structures of maize materials based on high-throughput image analysis techniques. Here, we provide a ...

A Murine Model of a Burn Wound Reconstructed with an Allogeneic Skin Graft

Trivial superficial wounds heal without complications by primary intention. Deep wounds, such as full thickness burns, heal by secondary intention and require surgical debridement and skin grafting. Successful integration of the donor graft into a recipient wound bed depends on timely recruitment of immune cells, robust angiogenic response and new extracellular matrix formation. The development of novel therapeutic agents, which target some key processes involved in wound healing, are hindered by the lack of reliable preclinical models with optimized objective assessment of wound closure. Here, we describe an inexpensive and reproducible model of experimental full thickness burn wound reconstructed with an allogeneic skin graft. The wound is induced on the dorsum surface of anaesthetized inbred wild type mice from the BALB/C and SKH1-Hrhr backgrounds. The burn is produced using a brass template measuring 10 mm in diameter, which is preheated to 80 &#176;C and delivered at a constant pressure for 20 s. Burn eschar is excised 24 hours after the injury and replaced with a full thickness graft harvested from the tail of a genetically similar donor mouse. No specialized equipment is required for the procedure and surgical techniques are straightforward to follow. The method may be effortlessly implemented and reproduced in most research settings. Certain limitations are associated with the model. Due to technical difficulties, the harvest of thinner split thickness skin grafts is not possible. The surgical method we describe here allows for the reconstruction of burn wounds using full thickness skin grafts. It may be used to carry out preclinical therapeutic testing.

The aim of this study was to develop a murine model of burn wound healing. A thermal burn was induced on the dorsal skin of mice using a preheated brass template. Burned tissue was debrided and overlaid with a skin graft harvested from the tail of a genetically similar donor mouse.

Trivial superficial wounds heal without complications by primary intention. Deep wounds, such as full thickness burns, heal by secondary intention and ...

A Capsule-Based Model for Immature Hard Tick Stages Infestation on Laboratory Mice

Ticks are obligatory blood feeding parasites at all stages of development (except eggs) and are recognized as vectors of various pathogens. The use of mouse models in tick research is critical for understanding their biology and tick-host-pathogen interactions. Here we demonstrate a non-laborious technique for the feeding of immature stages of hard ticks on laboratory mice. The benefit of the method is its simplicity, short duration, and the ability to monitor or collect ticks at different time points of an experiment. In addition, the technique allows attachment of two individual capsules on the same mouse, which is beneficial for a variety of experiments where two different groups of ticks are required to feed on the same animal. The non-irritating and flexible capsule is made from easily accessible materials and minimizes the discomfort of the experimental animals. Furthermore, euthanasia is not necessary, mice recover completely after the experiment and are available for re-use.

In this study, a feeding system for nymphal and larval stages of hard tick was developed using a capsule attached to laboratory mouse. The feeding capsule is made from flexible materials and remains firmly attached to the mouse for at least one week and allows comfortable monitoring of tick feeding.

Ticks are obligatory blood feeding parasites at all stages of development (except eggs) and are recognized as vectors of various pathogens. The use of ...

Dissection of the Endolymphatic Sac from Mice

The study of mutant mouse models of human hearing and balance disorders has unraveled many structural and functional changes which may contribute to the human phenotypes. Although important progress has been done in the understanding of the development and function of the neurosensory epithelia of the cochlea and vestibula, limited knowledge is available regarding the development, cellular composition, molecular pathways and functional characteristics of the endolymphatic sac. This is, in large part, due to the difficulty of visualizing and microdissecting this tissue, which is an epithelium comprised of only one cell layer. The study presented here describes an approach to access and microdissect the endolymphatic sac from the wild-type mouse inner ear at different ages. The result of a similar dissection is shown in a pendrin-deficient mouse model of enlargement of the vestibular aqueduct. A transgenic mouse with a fluorescent endolymphatic sac is presented. This reporter mouse can be used to readily visualize the endolymphatic sac with limited dissection and determine its size. It can also be used as an educational tool to teach how to dissect the endolymphatic sac. These dissection procedures should facilitate further characterization of this understudied part of the inner ear.

This study describes how to dissect the endolymphatic sac from the inner ear of the mouse at different ages. The result of a similar dissection is shown in an Slc26a4-null mouse model of enlargement of the endolymphatic sac. A transgenic mouse with a fluorescent reporter expressed in the endolymphatic sac is presented as a model to readily visualize the endolymphatic sac, and educational tool.

The study of mutant mouse models of human hearing and balance disorders has unraveled many structural and functional changes which may contribute to the ...

Application of Ultrasound and Shear Wave Elastography Imaging in a Rat Model of NAFLD/NASH

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is a condition within the spectrum of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), which is characterized by liver fat accumulation (steatosis) and inflammation leading to fibrosis. Preclinical models closely recapitulating human NASH/NAFLD are essential in drug development. While liver biopsy is currently the gold standard for measuring NAFLD/NASH progression and diagnosis in the clinic, in the preclinical space, either collection of whole liver samples at multiple timepoints during a study or biopsy of liver is needed for histological analysis to assess the disease stage.
Conducting a liver biopsy mid-study is an invasive and labor-intensive procedure, and collecting liver samples to assess disease level increases the number of research animals needed for a study. Thus, there is a need for a reliable, translatable, non-invasive imaging biomarker to detect NASH/NAFLD in these preclinical models. Non-invasive ultrasound-based B-mode images and Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) can be used to measure steatosis as well as liver fibrosis. To assess the utility of SWE in preclinical rodent models of NASH, animals were placed on a pro-NASH diet&#160;and underwent non-invasive ultrasound B-mode and shear wave elastography imaging to measure hepatorenal (HR) index and liver elasticity, measuring progression of both liver fat accumulation and tissue stiffness, respectively, at multiple time points over the course of a given NAFLD/NASH study.
The HR index and elasticity numbers were compared to histological markers of steatosis and fibrosis. The results showed strong correlation between the HR index and percentage of Oil Red O (ORO) staining, as well as between elasticity and Picro-Sirius Red (PSR) staining of livers. The strong correlation between classic ex vivo methods and in vivo imaging results provides evidence that shear wave elastography/ultrasound-based imaging can be used to assess disease phenotype and progression in a preclinical model of NAFLD/NASH.

This protocol describes the use of an enhanced ultrasound technique to non-invasively observe and quantify liver tissue changes in rodent models of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is a condition within the spectrum of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), which is characterized by liver fat ...

Zebrafish Corneal Wound Healing: From Abrasion to Wound Closure Imaging Analysis

As the transparent surface of the eye, the cornea is instrumental for clear sight. Due to its location, this tissue is prone to environmental insults. Indeed, the eye injuries most frequently encountered clinically are those to the cornea. While corneal wound healing has been extensively studied in small mammals (i.e., mice, rats, and rabbits), corneal physiology studies have neglected other species, including zebrafish, despite zebrafish being a classic research model.
This report describes a method of performing a corneal abrasion on zebrafish. The wound is performed in vivo on anesthetized fish using an ocular burr. This method allows for a reproducible epithelial wound, leaving the rest of the eye intact. After abrasion, wound closure is monitored over the course of 3 h, after which the wound is reepithelialized. By using scanning electron microscopy, followed by image processing, the epithelial cell shape, and apical protrusions can be investigated to study the various steps during corneal epithelial wound closure.
The characteristics of the zebrafish model permit study of the epithelial tissue physiology and the collective behavior of the epithelial cells when the tissue is challenged. Furthermore, the use of a model deprived of the influence of the tear film can produce&#160;new answers regarding corneal response to stress. Finally, this model also allows the delineation of the cellular and molecular events involved in any epithelial tissue subjected to a physical wound. This method can be applied to the evaluation of drug effectiveness in preclinical testing.

This protocol focuses on damaging the ocular surface of zebrafish through abrasion to assess the subsequent wound closure at the cellular level. This approach exploits an ocular burr to partly remove the corneal epithelium and uses scanning electron microscopy to track changes in cell morphology during wound closure.

As the transparent surface of the eye, the cornea is instrumental for clear sight. Due to its location, this tissue is prone to environmental insults. ...

The Establishment of a Murine Mandibular Molar Extraction Socket Healing Model

This study introduces the development of a molar extraction model in the murine mandible to provide a practicable model for studying alveolar bone regeneration and intramembranous ossification. C57/J6 mice were used to extract the mandibular first molar to establish this model. They were euthanized, and the bilateral mandibles harvested, at 1 week and 4 weeks post-surgery, respectively. Subsequent serial stereoscopic harvest, histological assessment, and immunofluorescence staining were performed to demonstrate successful surgery. Immediately after surgery, the stereoscopic images displayed an empty extraction socket. The hematoxylin and eosin (H&#38;E) at 1 week and Masson staining at 4 weeks post-surgery showed that the area of the original root was partially and fully filled with bone trabeculae, respectively. The immunofluorescence staining showed that, compared with the homeostasis side, the Sp7 expression increased at 1 week post-surgery, suggesting vigorous osteogenesis in the alveolar fossa. All these results demonstrated a practicable murine tooth extraction socket healing model. Upcoming studies revealing the mechanisms of jawbone defect healing or socket healing could adopt this method.

This protocol demonstrates step-by-step details of how to extract the mandibular first molar in the mouse. It provides an alternative method for researchers focusing on jawbone healing and regeneration.