Microfil Filling
Microfil Filling - Related Videos
10:50
Osmotic Drug Delivery to Ischemic Hindlimbs and Perfusion of Vasculature with Microfil for Micro-Computed Tomography Imaging
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Cited by 9 •
2013
We show here the in vivo insertion of an osmotic pump for constant local drug delivery and the creation of hindlimb ischemia in a mouse model. Moreover, the hindlimb vasculature is perfused with Microfil, a silicone radiopaque agent, to prepare for micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging.
10:16
Retrograde Perfusion and Filling of Mouse Coronary Vasculature as Preparation for Micro Computed Tomography Imaging
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Cited by 25 •
2012
Visualization of the coronary vessels is critical to advancing our understanding of cardiovascular diseases. Here we describe a method for perfusing murine coronary vasculature with a radiopaque silicone rubber (Microfil), in preparation for micro-Computed Tomography (μCT) imaging.
10:45
Finding Your Blind Spot and Perceptual Filling-in
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2023
Source: Laboratory of Jonathan Flombaum—Johns Hopkins University In the back of everyone's eye is a small piece of neural tissue called the retina. The retina has photosensitive cells that respond to stimulation by light. The responses of these cells are sent into the brain through the optic nerve, a bundle of neural fibers. In each retina there is a place somewhere in the periphery where the outputs from retinal cells collect and the bundled optic nerve exits to the brain. At that location,...
08:54
Immunostaining of Biocytin-filled and Processed Sections for Neurochemical Markers
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Cited by 28 •
2016
This protocol presents a method for the morphological recovery of neurons patched during electrophysiological recordings using biocytin filling and subsequent immunohistochemical postprocessing. We show that thick biocytin-filled sections that were stained and coverslipped can be restained with a second primary antibody days or months later.
05:06
Labeling of Biocytin-Filled Interneurons in Rat Hippocampal Slices for Visualization
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2025
This video demonstrates the procedure for staining fixed rat brain slices containing biocytin-filled interneurons. The protocol includes incubation with avidin-biotin complex (ABC), staining with HRP and chromogenic substrate, preserving structures with osmium tetroxide, and embedding the tissue in resin for imaging.
FAQs
Flushing removes material within the vascular system before the liquid polymer is introduced. This preparation helps the casting medium travel through selected vessels and reach smaller branches and capillaries under controlled pressure. Effective perfusion is important because incomplete clearance can limit polymer distribution and reduce the accuracy of the resulting three-dimensional representation.
Controlled pressure helps drive the polymer through the vascular network while supporting filling of branches and capillaries. The pressure condition therefore influences how completely the cast reproduces vessel architecture. Researchers use this control to obtain structural information about vessel diameter, branching patterns, and microvascular connectivity rather than simply producing a cast of larger vessels.
Once the radiopaque silicone polymer cures, it forms a durable cast that preserves the spatial arrangement of the vessels it filled. That stability allows the specimen to undergo dissection, clearing, imaging, or scanning. The resulting cast can reveal three-dimensional relationships that are difficult to assess from two-dimensional tissue sections alone.
Microfil filling provides three-dimensional structural information about vessel networks, including branching and connectivity, whereas histology and conventional imaging offer complementary views of anatomy and tissue structure. Using these approaches together can strengthen interpretation of organ perfusion and vascular remodeling by relating the cast architecture to other observations from the same biological system.
A typical workflow begins by flushing the vascular system, selecting the vessels of interest, and perfusing the liquid polymer under controlled pressure. The material is allowed to fill branches and capillaries before curing. Researchers can then dissect or clear the specimen and use imaging or scanning to examine the preserved vascular architecture.
The technique is useful when investigators need three-dimensional information about vascular organization in a medical or biomedical specimen. Applications described for Microfil filling include studies of organ perfusion, developmental vascularization, tumor angiogenesis, and disease-related remodeling. These uses help characterize how vessel networks are organized or altered in different biological and pathological settings.