Rabbit Intraductal Injection: Localized Delivery of Solution of Interest into the Rabbit Mammary Gland

An intraductal injection is used to provide localized treatments through the ducts to the mammary glands. First, place an anesthetized rabbit facing the ventral side up on a table for the procedure. Locate the teats to be injected and wipe the area with alcohol.

Load a syringe with an appropriate amount of sterile saline solution and insert the needle, bevel side up, into the side of the teat. Inject the saline for better visualization of the ductal openings. Next, lift the teat and carefully insert the blunt-tip needle to cannulate the duct. Load the syringe with a solution of interest to be injected.

Now, gently lock the syringe on the needle's hub and slowly inject the solution to avoid any damage due to pressure. Injection in the teat would directly deliver the solution to the rabbit mammary gland. In the following protocol, we will administer a contrast agent for visualizing the mammary gland's ducts using the intraductal injection technique in a rabbit model.

To begin this procedure, carefully shave the caudal abdomen of an anesthetized rabbit in the area around the third and fourth pairs of inguinal teats. With the majority of the hair removed, apply the hair removal cream t