Home › Cell Biology › Repeated Blood Collection from Tail Vein of Non-Anesthetized Rats with a Vacuum Blood Collection System
Cell Biology JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Repeated Blood Collection from Tail Vein of Non-Anesthetized Rats with a Vacuum Blood Collection System

DOI: 10.3791/55852-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Perform repeated tail vein blood collection from non-anesthetized rats using vacuum extraction tubes
  • ✓ Minimize occupational blood exposure risk during venipuncture procedures
  • ✓ Process and prepare blood samples for downstream analysis from single puncture sites
Protocol

Here, we describe a simple tail vein blood sampling method in non-anesthetized rats using a vacuum extraction tube system. This method reduces the risk of direct exposure to blood and simplifies taking multiple samples from a single venipuncture.

Difficulty
intermediate
Total time
~10–15 min per rat (including sample processing)
Model organism
Rat (species not specified)
Biosafety
BSL-1

Steps

1
Prepare equipment and supplies for blood collection

Assemble vacuum extraction tube system, collection tubes, and materials needed for venipuncture. Ensure all equipment is sterile and ready for use.

▶ 01:00
2
Collect blood from rat tail vein without anesthesia

Locate and access the rat's tail vein, then use the vacuum extraction tube system to draw blood directly into collection tubes. Multiple samples can be obtained from a single venipuncture site.

▶ 01:30
3
Process and prepare blood samples for analysis

Transfer collected blood samples into appropriate storage or processing vessels. Prepare samples according to downstream analytical requirements.

▶ 03:02
4
Evaluate outcomes and sample quality

Assess the success of blood collection, sample volume recovery, and sample integrity. Review results for suitability of analysis.

▶ 03:44
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