Home › Cell Biology › Murine Spinotrapezius Model to Assess the Impact of Arteriolar Ligation on Microvascular Function and Remodeling
Cell Biology JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Murine Spinotrapezius Model to Assess the Impact of Arteriolar Ligation on Microvascular Function and Remodeling

DOI: 10.3791/50218-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Perform murine spinotrapezius arteriolar ligation surgery using aseptic technique.
  • ✓ Assess microvascular remodeling and functional vasodilation post-ligation.
  • ✓ Apply intravital and confocal microscopy to quantify vascular responses.
Protocol

Biopharma Insights We demonstrate a novel arterial ligation model in murine spinotrapezius muscle, including a step-by-step procedure and description of required instrumentation. We describe the surgery and relevant outcome measurements relating to vascular network remodeling and functional vasodilation using intravital and confocal microscopy.

Difficulty
advanced
Total time
~2–3 hours per mouse (surgery + imaging)
Model organism
Mouse (strain not specified, typical C57BL/6J or similar)
Biosafety
BSL-1

Steps

1
Review surgical instruments and equipment setup

Identify and arrange all instruments required for arteriolar ligation including microsurgical tools and intravital microscopy apparatus.

▶ 03:48
2
Prepare mouse for surgery and anesthesia

Anesthetize mouse, position on surgical stage, and prepare spinotrapezius muscle exposure for ligation procedure.

▶ 04:02
3
Ligate target arteriole in spinotrapezius muscle

Perform microsurgical ligation of arteriolar branch using sterile technique and appropriate suture material under magnification.

▶ 04:47
4
Measure vasodilation and microvascular function in vivo

Use intravital microscopy to assess arteriolar responses to stimuli and quantify functional vasodilation in ligated and control regions.

▶ 09:25
5
Harvest tissue for confocal microscopy analysis

Euthanize animal, excise spinotrapezius muscle, and prepare samples for confocal imaging of vascular network remodeling.

▶ 12:04
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