Implantation of Cranial Imaging Window in Mouse Model: A Surgical Procedure to Implant Glass-based Coverslip for Stable Optical Access to Regions of Murine Brain

Abstract

Source: Alieva, M. et al. Longitudinal Intravital Imaging of Brain Tumor Cell Behavior in Response to an Invasive Surgical Biopsy. J. Vis. Exp.  (2019)

This video presents a surgical procedure to implant cranial window in a mouse model for stable optical access to different regions of the brain.

Protocol

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

1. Tumor Cell Implantation and Cranial Imaging Window Preparation

1. Surgical Preparation
   1. Use adult mice (>6 weeks old) of any strain or gender. Sedate a mouse by injecting fluanisone [neuroleptic] + fentanyl [opioid]) (0.4 mL/kg) + benzodiazepine sedative (2 mg/kg) at a dose of 1:1:2 in sterile water. Assess the animal's sedation state by toe pinch.
      NOTE: In this protocol, both female and male C57BL/6 mice were used du....

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
25G x 16 mm hypodermic needles	BD Microlance
Absorbable gelatin sponge	Pfizer	300600
Coverslips round 6 mm	VWR international		Gelfoam
Cyanoacrylate glue	Pattex	631-0168	Pattex Ultra gel
Dental cement	Vertex Dental		Vertex Self-Curing
Drill	Dremel		Dremel 3000 (dental drill may be more convenient) + 105 Engraving Cutter
Fine curved Tweezers	Dumont
Silicone Oil	Sigma Aldrich	AGT508
Stereotaxic frame	Stoelting	181838
Surgical stereo microscope	Olympus		Lab standard stereotaxic, rat and mouse
Opthalmic ointment	Kela Veterinaria		Duodrops veter kela 10 m
Xylocaine (Lidocaine 1% + Epinephrine 1:100,000) Local anesthetic	Astrazeneca		Xylocaine (Lidocaine 1% + Epinephrine 1:100,000)
Hypnorm	VetaPharma Ltd		Hypnorm (Fentanyl citrate 0.315 mg/mL + Fluanison 10 mg/mL)
Midazolam	Actavis		Midazolam Actavis 5 mg/mL