Home › Cell Biology › Dissection of the spinal cord dorsal horn
Steps
  1. 1 Prepare instruments and anesthesia 00:07
  2. 2 Expose and remove spinal column 00:37
  3. 3 Remove vertebrae to expose cord 01:27
  4. 4 Isolate and transfer spinal cord 02:54
  5. 5 Cut dura along dorsal midline 03:47
  6. 6 Hemisect cord and peel dura 04:50
  7. 7 Isolate dorsal horn strips 05:25
  8. 8 Collect remaining dorsal horn strips 05:58
Cell Biology Bio-protocol Video Citable · DOI

Dissection of the spinal cord dorsal horn

DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.v5
Protocol
Difficulty
intermediate

Steps

1
Prepare instruments and anesthesia

Treat surgical instruments with ethanol and prepare ice-cold HBSS solution. Anesthetize the animal deeply before dissection.

▶ 00:07
2
Expose and remove spinal column

Cut the back skin and lateral ribs to free the spinal column, then transfer it to ice-cold HBSS solution.

▶ 00:37
3
Remove vertebrae to expose cord

Position the spinal column ventral side up, then remove cervical and vertebral bones from caudal to rostral to expose the ventral spinal cord.

▶ 01:27
4
Isolate and transfer spinal cord

Cut connected nerve roots and transfer the intact cord to a fresh ice-cold HBSS dish with rostral side forward.

▶ 02:54
5
Cut dura along dorsal midline

Locate the dorsal blood vessel, cut through the dura along the cord's midline, and trim attached dura.

▶ 03:47
6
Hemisect cord and peel dura

Remove dura from one half, then cut the cord along the rostrocaudal midline into two halves.

▶ 04:50
7
Isolate dorsal horn strips

Orient one hemisected cord lateral side down, then cut approximately one quarter of the dorsal part from caudal to rostral to collect the dorsal horn strip.

▶ 05:25
8
Collect remaining dorsal horn strips

Remove dura from the other half cord, isolate its dorsal horn strip, and collect all strips into fresh ice-cold HBSS dishes.

▶ 05:58
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