JoVE General
Identifying Targets of Human microRNAs with the LightSwitch Luciferase Assay System using 3'UTR-reporter Constructs and a microRNA Mimic in Adherent Cells
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression and have been shown to play a role in numerous biological processes. To better understand miRNA-UTR interactions, we have created a genome-wide collection of 3 UTR luciferase reporters paired with a novel luciferase gene and assay reagent, the LightSwitch system.
JoVE Clinical and Translational Medicine
A Low Mortality Rat Model to Assess Delayed Cerebral Vasospasm After Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
1Department of Neurosurgery, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 2Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is bleeding that occurs into the subarachnoid space when an aneurysm ruptures. While the morbidity and mortality from this event has been on a decline due to improved treatment approaches, the risk of vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage continues to be the same as it was several years ago. The importance of establishing a comprehensive and reproducible animal model to identify initiating events of cerebral vasospasm has been the focus of research since the first use of rats in an experimental vasospasm model in 1979 by Barry et al. Early work in rats demonstrated that a single injection of autologous blood into the cisterna magna led to acute (within minutes) but not delayed cerebral vasospasm 3, 6, 14. Here we characterize a low mortality SAH rat model that results in reproducible delayed vasospasm.
JoVE Bioengineering
Design of a Cyclic Pressure Bioreactor for the Ex Vivo Study of Aortic Heart Valves
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University
A cyclic pressure bioreactor capable of subjecting heart valve tissue to physiological and pathological pressure conditions has been designed. A LabVIEW program allows users to control pressure magnitude, amplitude and frequency. This device can be used to study the mechanobiology of heart valve tissue or isolated cells.
JoVE General
Induction and Testing of Hypoxia in Cell Culture
Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine
Here we propose simple methods to induce hypoxia in cell cultures and simple tests to evaluate the hypoxic status of the cultures.
JoVE General
Visualizing the Beating Heart in Drosophila
Development and Aging Program, The Sanford Burnham Institute for Medical Research
Technique required for visualizing the beating heart in larval and adult Drosophila are presented. Each life stage requires a different methodology.
JoVE Bioengineering
Tri-layered Electrospinning to Mimic Native Arterial Architecture using Polycaprolactone, Elastin, and Collagen: A Preliminary Study
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 3Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Geneva
The aim of this study was to mimic the native three layered architecture of the arterial wall. To accomplish this, electrospinning was employed with the use of a 3-1 (input-output) nozzle and blends of polycaprolactone, elastin, and collagen.
JoVE General
Microfluidic Co-culture of Epithelial Cells and Bacteria for Investigating Soluble Signal-mediated Interactions
1McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University
This protocol describes a microfluidic co-culture model for simultaneous and localized culture of epithelial cells and bacteria. This model can be used for investigating the role of different soluble molecular signals on pathogenesis as well as screen the effectiveness of putative probiotic bacterial strains.
JoVE General
Laser-Induced Chronic Ocular Hypertension Model on SD Rats
Glaucoma is one of the major causes of blindness in the world. Elevated intraocular pressure is a major risk factor. Laser photocoagulation induced ocular hypertension is one of the well established animal models. This video demonstrates how to induce ocular hypertension by Argon laser photocoagulation in rat.
JoVE General
In vivo-like Organotypic Murine Retinal Wholemount Culture
Institute for Anatomy, Department of Neuroanatomy, University of Duisburg-Essen
This video article demonstrates the establishment of organotypic retinal wholemount cultures and a cytospin procedure for analysis of exogenously induced effects. Organotypic retinal wholemount cultures mimic the in vivo situation and significantly facilitate the accessibility of murine retinas for experimental manipulations while circumventing the disadvantages of classical murine animal models.
JoVE General
Determining the Contribution of the Energy Systems During Exercise
1Laboratory of Applied Nutrition, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Sao Paulo, 2Aerobic Performance Research Group, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Sao Paulo, 3Laboratory of Neuromuscular Adaptations to Strength Training, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Sao Paulo, 4Martial Arts and Combat Sports Research Group, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Sao Paulo
This protocol allows researchers focused on exercise and sports sciences to determine the relative contribution of three different energy systems to the total energy expenditure during a large variety of exercises.
JoVE Clinical and Translational Medicine
Mouse Model of Intraluminal MCAO: Cerebral Infarct Evaluation by Cresyl Violet Staining
1Laboratory of Biochemical Neuroendocrinology, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, 2CHUQ Research Centre, Laval University
The intraluminal middle cerebral occlusion model in mice is herein presented. The extent of cerebral infarct is evaluated by a neurologic score and cresyl violet staining, an alternative staining to TTC, offering the great advantage to test in parallel many interest markers.
JoVE Bioengineering
Microfluidic Device for Recreating a Tumor Microenvironment in Vitro
Department of Chemical Engineering, University Of Massachusetts Amherst
We present the procedure for fabrication and operation of a microfluidic device that recreates heterogeneous tumor microenvironments in vitro. The variability in apoptosis within tumor tissue was quantified using fluorescent stains and the effective diffusion coefficient of the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin into tumor tissue was evaluated.
JoVE Clinical and Translational Medicine
Endothelin-1 Induced Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model for Ischemic Stroke with Laser Doppler Flowmetry Guidance in Rat
1Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, 2Department of Anatomical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, 3Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, 4Department of Neurology, University of Florida
Several animal models of cerebral ischemia have been developed to simulate the human condition of stroke. This protocol describes the endothelin-1 (ET-1) induced middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model for ischemic stroke in rats. In addition, important considerations, advantages, and shortcomings of this model are discussed.
JoVE General
Microinjection of mRNA and Morpholino Antisense Oligonucleotides in Zebrafish Embryos.
Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine
Microinjection is a well-established and effective method for introducing foreign substances into fertilized zebrafish embryos. Here, we demonstrate a robust microinjection technique for performing mRNA overexpression, and morpholino oligonucleotide gene knockdown studies in zebrafish.
JoVE Editorial
JoVE 8th Issue
JoVE General
Semi-automated Optical Heartbeat Analysis of Small Hearts
1Development and Aging Program, The Sanford Burnham Institute for Medical Research, 2Cardiac Electrophysiology Group, Dept. of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, The Sanford Burnham Institute for Medical Research, 3Biology Department and Heart Institute, San Diego State University
We have developed a Semi-automated Optical Heartbeat Analysis method (SOHA) for analyzing high speed optical recordings from Drosophila, zebrafish and embryonic mouse hearts. We demonstrate the application of our methodology to the analysis of heart function in fruit fly and embryonic mouse hearts.
JoVE Clinical and Translational Medicine
Sampling Human Indigenous Saliva Peptidome Using a Lollipop-Like Ultrafiltration Probe: Simplify and Enhance Peptide Detection for Clinical Mass Spectrometry
1Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 2Division of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, 3VA San Diego Healthcare Center, 4Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego
Considering saliva sampling for future clinical application, a lollipop-like ultrafiltration (LLUF) probe was fabricated to fit in the human oral cavity. Direct analysis of undigested saliva by NanoLC-LTQ mass spectrometry demonstrated the ability of LLUF probes to remove large proteins and high abundance proteins, and make low-abundant peptides more detectable.
JoVE General
Application of a C. elegans Dopamine Neuron Degeneration Assay for the Validation of Potential Parkinson's Disease Genes
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama
This video demonstrates how to use C. elegans to assess dopaminergic neuron neurodegeneration as a model for Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, genetic screens are used to identify factors that either enhance degeneration or are neuroprotective.
JoVE Neuroscience
Application of a NMDA Receptor Conductance in Rat Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons Using the Dynamic Clamp Technique
Neurosciences Institute, University of Texas San Antonio - UTSA
In this video, we demonstrate how to apply a conductance into a dopaminergic neuron recorded in the whole cell configuration in rat brain slices. This technique is called the dynamic clamp.
JoVE Clinical and Translational Medicine
Electrolytic Inferior Vena Cava Model (EIM) of Venous Thrombosis
1Conrad Jobst Vascular Research Laboratories, Section of Vascular Surgery, University of Michigan, 2Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan
The electrolytic induction of endothelial activation to the internal surface of the Inferior Vena Cava results in venous type thrombus formation due to endothelial activation and partial blood stasis, two components of Virchow's triad.
JoVE Immunology and Infection
Colon Ascendens Stent Peritonitis (CASP) - a Standardized Model for Polymicrobial Abdominal Sepsis
Department of Surgery, University of Greifswald
The Colon Ascendens Stent Peritonitis (CASP) is a highly standardized model for polymicrobial abdominal sepsis in rodents. This article describes the surgical procedure of CASP. The CASP model and its variants allow the systematic investigation of various problems concerning the subject of sepsis.
JoVE Clinical and Translational Medicine
Acute Myocardial Infarction in Rats
1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 2Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston (UH), Texas Medical Center
The rat model of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is useful to study the consequence of a MI on cardiac pathophysiological and physiological function.
JoVE Bioengineering
An Experimental System to Study Mechanotransduction in Fetal Lung Cells
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Mechanical forces play a key role in lung development and lung injury. Here, we describe a method to isolate rodent fetal lung type II epithelial cells and fibroblasts and to expose them to mechanical stimulation using an in vitro system.
JoVE Neuroscience
Strategies for Study of Neuroprotection from Cold-preconditioning
Department of Neurology, The University of Chicago Medical Center
We seek to define the neural immune signaling responsible for cold-preconditioning as means to identify novel targets for therapeutics development to protect brain before injury onset. We present strategies for such work that require biological systems, experimental manipulations plus technical capacities that are highly reproducible and sensitive.
JoVE Bioengineering
A Method for Ovarian Follicle Encapsulation and Culture in a Proteolytically Degradable 3 Dimensional System
1Institute for BioNanotechnology in Advanced Medicine, Northwestern University, 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 3Center for Reproductive Research, Northwestern University, 4The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, 5Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University
A new method for ovarian follicle encapsulation in a 3D fibrin-alginate interpenetrating network is described. This system combines structural support with proteolytic degradation to support the development of immature follicles to produce mature oocytes. This method may be applied to culture cell aggregates to maintain cell-cell contacts without limiting expansion.
JoVE Bioengineering
Constructing a Collagen Hydrogel for the Delivery of Stem Cell-loaded Chitosan Microspheres
Department of Regenerative Medicine, United States Army Institute of Surgical Research
A major hurdle in current stem cell therapies is determining the most effective method to deliver these cells to host tissues. Here, we describe a chitosan-based delivery method that is efficient and simple in approach, while allowing adipose-derived stem cells to maintain their multipotency.
JoVE Clinical and Translational Medicine
Surgical Technique for Spinal Cord Delivery of Therapies: Demonstration of Procedure in Gottingen Minipigs
1Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University, 2Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 3Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama, Birmingham, 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 5Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University
Short visual description of the surgical technique and device used for the delivery of (gene and cell) therapies into the spinal cord. The technique is demonstrated in the animal but is entirely translatable and currently being used for human application.
JoVE General
Fabrication and Use of MicroEnvironment microArrays (MEArrays)
1Life Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2Department of Comparative Biochemistry, University of California, Berkeley
A combinatorial functional screening method for gaining insights into the impacts of the molecular composition of microenvironments on cellular functions is described. The method takes advantage of existing microarray-based technologies to generate arrays of defined combinatorial microenvironments that support cell adhesion and functional analysis.
JoVE General
Computer-Generated Animal Model Stimuli
Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviour, Macquarie University
Computer-generated stimuli using the Jacky dragon as a model.
JoVE Editorial
June 2011: This Month in JoVE
Here are some highlights from the June 2011 Issue of Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE).
JoVE Editorial
July 2012: This Month in JoVE
1JoVE Content Production, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear
Historically, JoVE, The Journal of Visualized Experiments, has focused primarily on biomedical research and has developed subsections for Bioengineering, Clinical and Translational Medicine, Immunology and Infection, and Neuroscience. This July, JoVE launches its Applied Physics section, which includes a range of content from Plasma Physics to Materials Science. We begin the new section with a notable article from Purdue University, where researchers in the Center for Laser-Based Manufacturing are studying.
JoVE Bioengineering
Design of a Biaxial Mechanical Loading Bioreactor for Tissue Engineering
1Department of Orthopaedics, The Warren Alpert Brown Medical School of Brown University and the Rhode Island Hospital, 2Center for Restorative and Regenerative Medicine, VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, 3University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
We designed a novel mechanical loading bioreactor that can apply uniaxial or biaxial mechanical strain to a cartilage biocomposite prior to transplantation into an articular cartilage defect.
JoVE General
Supported Planar Bilayers for the Formation of Study of Immunological Synapses and Kinapse
Supported planar bilayers are powerful tools that can be used to model the molecular interactions in an immunological synapse. Here, we show methods for anchoring cell adhesion proteins known to modulate synapse formation to the upper leaflet of the lipid bilyer and visualize synapse formation using TIRF microscopy.
JoVE General
Isolation of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC)
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine (UCI)
This video protocol illustrates the isolation and culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) from human umbilical cord. Once isolated these cells can be used for in vitro angiogenesis assays like the Optimized Fibrin Gel Bead Assay also demonstrated by the Hughes lab.
JoVE Neuroscience
An Organotypic Slice Assay for High-Resolution Time-Lapse Imaging of Neuronal Migration in the Postnatal Brain
This protocol describes an organotypic slice assay optimized for the postnatal brain and high-resolution time-lapse imaging of neuroblast migration in the rostral migratory stream.
JoVE General
Genomic MRI - a Public Resource for Studying Sequence Patterns within Genomic DNA
Department of Medicine, University of Toledo Health Science Campus
We present a public computational web site for the analysis of genomic sequences. It detects DNA sequence patterns with various non-random nucleotide compositions. This resource also generates randomized sequences with diverse levels of complexity.
JoVE General
Herbivore-induced Blueberry Volatiles and Intra-plant Signaling
Department of Entomology, Rutgers University
A push-pull method for collecting plant volatiles is described. The method allows for a comparison of volatiles induced by herbivore feeding, exogenous methyl jasmonate, and mechanical damage. This technique is also used to investigate the volatile response of undamaged branches to exposure to volatiles from herbivore-damaged branches within blueberry plants.
JoVE Bioengineering
Generation and Recovery of β-cell Spheroids From Step-growth PEG-peptide Hydrogels
The following protocol provides techniques for encapsulating pancreatic β-cells in step-growth PEG-peptide hydrogels formed by thiol-ene photo-click reactions. This material platform not only offers a cytocompatible microenvironment for cell encapsulation, but also permits user-controlled rapid recovery of cell structures formed within the hydrogels.
JoVE General
Adult and Embryonic Skeletal Muscle Microexplant Culture and Isolation of Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells
School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham
The micro-dissected explants technique is a robust and reliable method for isolating proliferative skeletal muscle cells from juvenile, adult or embryonic muscles as a source of skeletal muscle stem cells. Uniquely, these cells have been clonally derived to produce skeletal muscle stem cell lines used for in vivo transplantation.
JoVE General
Transverse Aortic Constriction in Mice
1Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), 2The Margaret M. and Albert B. Alkek Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM)
Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in the mouse is a commonly used experimental model to study mechanisms underlying cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure development. Here, we describe procedures to constrict the aorta to create a reproducible degree of cardiac hypertrophy in mice.
JoVE General
Murine Model for Parkinson's Disease: from 6-OH Dopamine Lesion to Behavioral Test
Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
Parkinson disease is caused by loss of dopaminergic innervation to the striatum, which can be experimentally induced by 6-OH-dopamine. We describe how to perform a stereotaxic lesion and to monitor apomorphine-induced rotational behavior in mice. This model is useful and reliable for testing new therapies for Parkinson disease.
JoVE General
Optimized Fibrin Gel Bead Assay for the Study of Angiogenesis
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine (UCI)
This video demonstrates the protocol of an in vitro angiogenesis assay that recapitulates several stages of angiogenesis. Time-lapse images of sprouting, lumen formation, branching and anastomosis - key features of angiogenesis - are shown.
JoVE Immunology and Infection
The Use of Drip Flow and Rotating Disk Reactors for Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Analysis
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan
Protocols for utilizing open system flow biofilms with drip flow reactors and rotating disk reactors are presented in detail.
JoVE Bioengineering
Engineering Biological-Based Vascular Grafts Using a Pulsatile Bioreactor
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, 2Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine
Our group has developed a bioreactor culture system that mimics the physiological pulsatile stresses of the cardiovascular system to regenerate implantable small-diameter vascular grafts.
JoVE Immunology and Infection
Imaging Leukocyte Adhesion to the Vascular Endothelium at High Intraluminal Pressure
Vascular Pharmacology Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Monash University
This is a method to visualise leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium in harvested pressurised vessels. The technique enables studying vascular adhesion under shear flow with differing intraluminal pressures up to 200 mmHg thus mimic-ing the pathophysiological conditions of high blood pressure.
JoVE Immunology and Infection
Use of the EpiAirway Model for Characterizing Long-term Host-pathogen Interactions
Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine
This method allows characterization of extended bacterial co-culture with EpiAirways, primary human respiratory epithelial tissue grown at the air-liquid interface, a biologically relevant in vitro model. The approach can be used with any microbe that is amenable to long-term co-culture.
JoVE Bioengineering
Preparation of 3D Fibrin Scaffolds for Stem Cell Culture Applications
1Department of Biology, University of Victoria, 2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria
This work details the preparation of 3D fibrin scaffolds for culturing and differentiating plutipotent stem cells. Such scaffolds can be used to screen the effects of various biological compounds on stem cell behavior as well as modified to contain drug delivery systems.
JoVE Clinical and Translational Medicine
A Murine Model of Muscle Training by Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, 2Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, 3McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
A murine model of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), a safe and inexpensive clinical modality, to the anterior compartment muscles is described. This model has the advantage of modifying a readily available clinical device for the purpose of eliciting targeted and specific muscle contractions in mice.
JoVE Clinical and Translational Medicine
Human Neuroendocrine Tumor Cell Lines as a Three-Dimensional Model for the Study of Human Neuroendocrine Tumor Therapy
1Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation, 2The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 3School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey
We present a simple agarose overlay platform to grow 3D multicellular spheroids using neuroendocrine cancer cell lines. This method provides a very convenient way to examine the effect of therapeutic drugs on the neuroendocrine tumor cells. It could also help us establish human neuroendocrine tumor spheroids for cancer therapy.
JoVE Bioengineering
Evaluation of Polymeric Gene Delivery Nanoparticles by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis and High-throughput Flow Cytometry
1Biomedical Engineering Department, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 3Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 4Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
A protocol for nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and high-throughput flow cytometry to evaluate polymeric gene delivery nanoparticles is described. NTA is utilized to characterize the nanoparticle particle size distribution and the plasmid per particle distribution. High-throughput flow cytometry enables quantitative transfection efficacy evaluation for a library of gene delivery biomaterials.
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