Harvesting an Inguinal Draining Lymph Node from a Murine Model

Abstract

Source: Rezende, R. M. et al., Visualizing Lymph Node Structure and Cellular Localization using Ex-Vivo Confocal Microscopy. J. Vis. Exp.  (2019)

This video demonstrates the surgical isolation procedure of the inguinal draining lymph node from a mouse model. Incision of the abdominal region provides access to the inguinal lymph node, which is surgically harvested. The harvested translucent inguinal lymph node can be used for immunological studies.

Protocol

All procedures involving animal models have been reviewed by the local institutional animal care committee and the JoVE veterinary review board. 1. Mice used for the experiment Use 8-week-old male and female mice on the B6 background. 2. Surgery procedure to remove the inguinal draining lymph node Euthanize mice using CO2 asphyxiation followed by cervical dislocation. Immobili…

Representative Results

Figure 1: Inguinal lymph node preparation.  (A) Subcutaneous injection of FACS antibody master mix into the inner thigh. (B) 3 h after the injection, euthanize the mouse, immobilize the mouse on an acrylic plate with adhesive tape, and apply mineral oil to the abdominal skin to prevent fur deposition around the incision. (C) Perform a midline incision in the abdomen …

Materials

Microsurgery curved forceps	WEP Surgical Instruments	Custom-made	12.5 cm
Microsurgery curved scissors	WEP Surgical Instruments	Custom-made	11.5 cm