[Histonet] mouse perfusion

[Charles Scouten]

 In the rat, I snip off the bottom of the heart, and insert a gavage needle (a feeding needle, with a round or oval ball on the end) up through the left ventricle into the ascending aorta.  You can't miss, it channels you there.  And no chance of the round ball penetrating out.  Then put a clamp (forceps?) on the aorta behind the ball, and remove your hands from the area.  No need to hold the needle as perfusion progresses.  

I have no reason to think this won't work in mice as well.

The Perfusion One apparatus comes with a set of gavage needles suitable for mice, rats, or larger rodents.  See the following link:

http://www.myneurolab.com/myneurolab/mnl_products_detail.asp?idproduct=471001&catdesc=Histology+Equipment&CatThreeID=674&CatOneID=4&subcatdesc=Sacrifice+Equipment&idsubcategory=21


You can buy the needles separately.  They are listed at the website.


Cordially,
Charles W.  Scouten, Ph.D. 
myNeuroLab.com 
5918 Evergreen Blvd. 
St. Louis, MO 63134 
Ph: 314 522 0300  
FAX  314 522 0377 
cwscouten <@t> myneurolab.com 
www.myneurolab.com 


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Cooperman, Sharon (NIH/NICHD)
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2004 6:12 PM
To: 'histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: [Histonet] mouse perfusion

Dear Histoneteers,

I am having trouble with mouse perfusion.  We do an intracardiac (left ventricle perfusion).  I start out fine, but about halfway through the perfusion I get a bad hand cramp (I have writer's cramp) and can't hold the needle well.  I often wind up punching through the septum or the anterior wall and the rest of the perfusion doesn't go well, so I get good flushing of blood but poor fixation.  Does anyone know of a method for holding the needle without hand fatigue?  There are people in my lab who don't have writer's cramp who have much less trouble with perfusions, but I can't change the writer's cramp stuff.

Thanks,
Sharon

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