Vascular Perfusion for Tissue Collection

Vascular Perfusion for Tissue Collection

IACUC Standard Procedure
Effective Date: May 2024

Description of Procedure

This is a standard procedure for the vascular perfusion of anesthetized animals with fixatives or other perfusates for preparing tissues for histology. It is a non-survival surgery.

• Animals should be fully anesthetized following the UCSF anesthesia guidelines. Ensure deep anesthesia (loss of pedal withdrawal response) before beginning the procedure.
• The usual route of perfusion is transcardial.
• After opening the thorax cavity:
  1. Cut the ribs on both sites to the level of the collar bones.
  2. Lift the sternum carefully, and
  3. Roll it back carefully to expose the thorax cavity and visualize the heart and major vessels.
  4. Perfusion is usually done through the aorta or left ventricle.
  5. The right atrium is cut open.
  6. Animals are transcardially perfused through the ventricular catheter, with or without saline, followed by fixatives or other perfusates. The perfusion solution drains through the incision in the atrium.
• Fixative or other perfusion solutions can also be infused through other large arteries and drained from an incision in a vein.
• Fixatives or other perfusion are usually infused under gravity or using appropriate pressure via pump or syringe.
• Vascular perfusions using fixative agents must be performed either in a chemical fume hood or a down draft table.
• The fully perfused animal is considered euthanized. Tissues are collected for analysis.

Protocol Requirements

• This is a category D procedure.
• In section F (Standard Procedures), check “Vascular Perfusion for Tissue Collection.”
• In Section H (Surgery), list this procedure as a non-survival surgery.
• In Section N (Euthanasia), list this procedure as a method of euthanasia.
• In Section I (Agents), list anesthesia, fixatives or other perfusates.

Reference

https://www.jove.com/t/3564/whole-animal-perfusion-fixation-for-rodents