Uncontrolled Hemorrhagic Shock Modeled via Liver Laceration in Mice with Real Time Hemodynamic Monitoring

Summary

Uncontrolled hemorrhage, an important cause of mortality among trauma patients, can be modeled using a standard liver laceration in a murine model. This model results in consistent blood loss, survival, and allows for testing hemostatic agents. This article provides the step-by-step process to perform this valuable model.

Abstract

Uncontrolled hemorrhage is an important cause of preventable deaths among trauma patients. We have developed a murine model of uncontrolled hemorrhage via a liver laceration that results in consistent blood loss, hemodynamic alterations, and survival.

Mice undergo a standardized resection of the left-middle lobe of the liver. They are allowed to bleed without mechanical intervention. Hemostatic agents can be administered as pre-treatment or rescue therapy depending on the interest of the investigator. During the time of hemorrhage, real-time hemodynamic monitoring via a left femoral arterial line is performed. Mice are then sacrificed, blood loss is quantified, blood is collected for further analysis, and organs are harvested for analysis of injury. Experimental design is described to allow for simultaneous testing of multiple animals.

Liver hemorrhage as a model of uncontrolled hemorrhage exists in the literature, primarily in rat and porcine models. Some of these models utilize hemodynamic monitoring or quantify blood loss but lack consistency. The present model incorporates quantification of blood loss, real-time hemodynamic monitoring in a murine model that offers the advantage of using transgenic lines and a high-throughput mechanism to further investigate the pathophysiologic mechanisms in uncontrolled hemorrhage.

Introduction

Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability among young people worldwide.¹ Uncontrolled hemorrhage remains a leading cause of mortality among severely injured trauma patients.² Management of the hemorrhaging trauma patient is two-fold: control of surgical bleeding, and resuscitation and replacement of lost blood.

Animal models of hemorrhagic shock have been the cornerstone in trauma research and can be used in the evaluation of the pathophysiology and treatment of traumatic/hemorrhagic shock.^3,4 Shock in animal models can be ac....

Protocol

Mice were housed in accordance with University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA, USA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH; Bethesda, MD, USA) animal care guidelines in specific pathogen-free conditions with 12 h light-dark cycles and free access to standard feed and water. All animal experiments were approved and conducted in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Animal Research and Care Committee at the University of Pittsburgh.

1. Surgical Field and Instrument Setup

1. Sterilize all surgical instruments, suture, gauze, cotton tip applicators, tubing, and tubing connectors prior to the procedure.
   ....

Results

The liver laceration model results in reproducible and consistent blood loss in mice. Figure 1A demonstrates the consistent weight of lacerated liver that can be obtained with a standard deviation of only 0.02 g. This consistency in lacerated liver weight allows the ability to reproduce the model between mice and in different experimental set-ups such as different resuscitative protocols. As well, the reproducible weight of the lacerated liver, with a standard error of on.......

Discussion

The murine liver laceration model described here provides a reliable, consistent model of uncontrolled hemorrhage. This model is straightforward to perform but there are important steps that require meticulous consideration. The most technically challenging part of the model is cannulation of the femoral vessels for hemodynamic monitoring and fluid/drug administration. Care must be taken during the dissection of the nerve and the arteriotomy/venotomy. It is important to not touch the nerve during the dissection of the ve.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
SS/45 dumonts	Fine Science Tools	11203-25
surgical scissors	Fine Science Tools	14068-12
hemostats	Fine Science Tools	13009-12
microscissors	Fine Science Tools	15000-08
0.8 mm curved forceps	Fine Science Tools	11009-13
suture reel 6-0	Fine Science Tools	18020-60
suture 4-0 silk w/ needle	Owens Minor	K188H
gauze 4 x 4	can be purchased through any global vendor
cotton-tip applicator	can be purchased through any global vendor
30 G needle	can be purchased through any global vendor
23 G needle	can be purchased through any global vendor
10 cc syringe	can be purchased through any global vendor
50 cc conical tube	can be purchased through any global vendor
1 cc syringe w/ 25G needle	Fisher Scientific	14-826-88
Polyethylene 10 tubing 100`(PE-10)	Fisher Scientific	14-170-12P
Polyethylene 50 tubing 100`(PE-50)	Fisher Scientific	14-170-12B
3-way stopcock	Fisher Scientific	NC9779127
surgical blue pad	Fisher Scientific	50-7105
Sterile Field dressings	Fisher Scientific	NC9517505
tape rolls 1"	Corporate Express	MMM26001
straight side wide mouth jars	VWR	159000-058
stainless steel tray 8" x 11"	VWR	62687-049
male-male leur lock 3-way	VWR	20068-909
sterilization pouch 3" x 8"	VWR	24008
sterilization pouch 5" x 10"	VWR	24010
absorption triangles	Fine Science Tools	18105-03
7 mm wound clip applier	Fisher Scientific	E0522687
1,000 7 mm wound clips	Fisher Scientific	E0522687
betadine (4 oz)	can be purchased through any global vendor
sterile gloves	can be purchased through any global vendor
eppendorfs	can be purchased through any global vendor
1/2 cc Lo-Dose insulin syringe	Fisher Scientific	12-826-79
small weigh boat	can be purchased through any global vendor
lactated ringers	can be purchased through any global vendor
hepranized saline solution (.1 µL; hep + 9.9 µL; NaCl)	can be purchased through any global vendor
phosphate buffered saline	can be purchased through any global vendor
pentobarbital	can be purchased through any global vendor
Wild M650 microscope w/ boom stand	Leica
Digi-Med BPA-400 analyzer & systems integrator	Micro-Med	SYS-400
TXD-310 (Digi-Med Transducer)	Micro-Med	TXD-300
Computer	Dell
microbead instrument sterilizer	VWR	11156-002
Oster A5 clippers w. size 40 blade	VWR	10749-020
circulating heating pad 18 x 26	Harvard	py872-5272
rectal thermometer	Kent Scientific	RET-3