Jugular Vein Graft Harvest From a Rabbit Model: A Surgical Procedure to Excise a Segment of Rabbit Jugular Vein for Ex Vivo Studies

Abstract

Source: Nishio, H., et al. A Rabbit Venous Interposition Model Mimicking Revascularization Surgery using Vein Grafts to Assess Intimal Hyperplasia under Arterial Blood Pressure J. Vis. Exp. (2020).

In this video, we demonstrate a procedure for surgically harvesting a segment of the jugular vein from a rabbit model. The resected segment can be used as an autologous vein graft to study intimal hyperplasia that develops due to arterial blood pressure.

Protocol

All procedures involving animal models have been reviewed by the local institutional animal care committee and the JoVE veterinary review board.

1. Harvest of the jugular vein

NOTE: Local anesthetics (such as lidocaine) should be used before making the skin incision.

1. Before skin incision, administer prophylactic enrofloxacin (5 mg/kg) subcutaneously. For analgesia, administer 0.05 mg/kg of buprenorphine subcutaneously twice a day for 3 days.
   NOTE: To avoid a drop in body temperature, a surgical scrub of the incision site can be used instead of spraying the anim....

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
2-0 VICRYL Plus	Johnson and Johnson	VCP316H	Surgical expendables
4-0 Silk suture	Alfresa pharma	GA04SB	Surgical expendables
Fogarty Catheter (2Fr)	Edwards Lifesciences LLC	E-060-2F	Surgical expendables
10% Povidone-iodine solution	Nakakita	872612	Surgical expendables
Intravenous catheter (20G)	Terumo	SR-OT2051C	Surgical expendables
Lidocaine hydrochloride	MP Biomedicals	193917	Anesthesia