A new method to catheterize a femoral artery in mice using a nylon suture as a 'guide wire'.
Mice are commonly used in laboratory experiments. Their femoral arteries are so tiny that catheterization is quite difficult. We describe a new method to catheterize the femoral artery in mice. The key feature of this new method is the use of a nylon suture as a 'guide wire'. The full catheterization system consists of two sizes of polyethylene tubes (PE-10, PE-50) and a 4-0 nylon suture. We have been able to repeatedly catheterize mouse femoral arteries (n = 57) successfully and easily with this new system. We believe that this new method can facilitate vascular catheterization in small animals such as mice.
Fukui
S
S
Department of Neurosurgery, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
Nawshiro
H
H
Wada
K
K
Shima
K
K
Hallenbeck
J M
JM
D000818:Animals; D002404:Catheterization / Q000592:standards; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D023421:Models, Animal; D009757:Nylons; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D013537:Sutures
D009757:Nylons