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A New Minimally Invasive Method of Transverse Aortic Constriction in Mice

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Abstract

Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in mice is the most popular model to mimic pressure overload heart disease. In this study, we developed a convenient, quick, and less invasive new TAC mice model. Briefly, after anesthetization, endotracheal intubation was then performed, and the endotracheal tube was connected to a ventilator. The second intercostal space was opened and then the home-made retractors were used to push aside the thymus gently. A tunnel under the aortic arch was made and a segment of 6–0 monofilament polypropylene suture which had been threaded through a specifically modified blunted 26-gauge syringe needle was passed through the tunnel. A blunted 27-gauge needle was placed parallel to the transverse aorta and then three knots were tied quickly. After ligation, the spacer was removed promptly and gently to achieve a constriction of 0.4 mm in diameter. Five weeks after TAC, cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and left ventricular dysfunction were observed.

Graphical abstract

The mouse was anesthetized with pentobarbital (50 mg/kg) via intraperitoneal injection. Endotracheal intubation under direct vision was then performed and the endotracheal tube was connected to a ventilator. The second intercostal space was opened and then the home-made retractors were used to push aside the thymus gently. A tunnel under the aortic arch was made and a segment of 6–0 monofilament polypropylene suture which had been threaded through a specifically modified blunted 26-gauge syringe needle was passed through the tunnel.

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Abbreviations

TAC:

Transverse aortic constriction

LV:

Left ventricular

BCA:

Brachiocephalic artery

LCCA:

Left common carotid artery

LVIDd:

LV end-diastolic internal diameter

LVIDs:

LV end-systolic internal diameter

IVSd:

Interventricular septum end-diastolic thickness

IVSs:

Interventricular septum end-systolic thickness

LVPWd:

LV end-diastolic posterior wall thickness

LVPWs:

LV end-systolic posterior wall thickness

LVEDV:

LV end-diastolic volume

LVESV:

LV end-systolic volume

LVEF:

LV ejection fraction

LVFS:

LV fractional shortening

HW:

Heart weight

BW:

Body weight

TL:

Tibia length

H&E:

Hematoxylin-eosin

MT:

Masson’s trichrome

AAo:

Ascending aorta

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Funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81770319).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Editor-in-Chief Enrique Lara-Pezzi oversaw the review of this article

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 58 Zhongshan II Road, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, China

    Huayang Li, Quan Liu, Shunjun Wang, Lin Huang, Suiqing Huang, Yuan Yue, Kangni Feng & Zhongkai Wu

  2. NHC Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation (Sun Yat-Sen University), Guangzhou , Guangdong Province, China

    Huayang Li, Quan Liu & Zhongkai Wu

Authors
  1. Huayang Li
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  2. Quan Liu
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  4. Lin Huang
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  5. Suiqing Huang
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  6. Yuan Yue
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  8. Zhongkai Wu
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Huayang Li, Quan Liu, and Shunjun Wang carried out the experiments. Lin Huang, Yuan Yue, Suiqing Huang, and Kangni Feng helped with the material preparation, data collection, and analysis. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Huayang Li, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. Zhongkai Wu contributed substantially to the conception, design of the study, acquired funding, supervised the study, and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethics declarations

No human studies were carried out by the authors for this article.

Ethics Approval for Use of Animals

All institutional and national guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals were followed and approved by the Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee of Sun Yat-sen University (2019001114).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Huayang Li and Quan Liu contributed equally to this article.

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Li, H., Liu, Q., Wang, S. et al. A New Minimally Invasive Method of Transverse Aortic Constriction in Mice. J. of Cardiovasc. Trans. Res. 15, 635–643 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12265-021-10170-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12265-021-10170-4

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