Utilization of murine laparoscopy for continuous in-vivo assessment of the liver in multiple disease models.
BACKGROUND
Current strategies for follow up of murine models of liver disease are flawed by inability to continuously monitor disease progression in the tissue level, and necessitate sacrifice of animals for tissue sampling.


OBJECTIVE
In this study we aimed at developing a safe repetitive tool for sampling livers in vivo, by utilization of a miniaturized endoscopy system for laparoscopic liver biopsies and for injection of tumor cells into livers.


RESULTS
We report the development of a protocol for murine laparoscopy that allows repeated visualization of murine intra-abdominal organs. The system enables safe and repeated liver biopsies in mice and rats, yielding adequate tissue for histological staining and RNA extraction. In addition, injection of tumor cells into livers facilitates under-vision implantation of hepatic tumors in liver, followed by visualization of tumor growth.


CONCLUSIONS
Murine laparoscopy may be employed as a novel imaging modality for continuous assessment and manipulation of chronic liver disease models.
Shapira
Yami
Y
Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Katz
Meirav
M
Ali
Muhammad
M
Kaplan
Michael
M
Brazowski
Eli
E
Halpern
Zamir
Z
Elinav
Eran
E
D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats