title: Refinements for embryo implantation surgery in the mouse: comparison of injectable and inhalant anesthesias - tribromoethanol, ketamine and isoflurane - on pregnancy and pup survival.
abstract: An essential aspect of genetically-engineered mice (GEM) is the ability to produce live animals after the appropriate injection procedure. Animals are produced by implantation of manipulated embryos into pseudopregnant females for gestation, parturition, and growth to the weaning stage. This study was carried out to test whether the anesthesia used during surgery could affect the number of pups produced. Anesthetics commonly used for implant surgery include tribromoethanol (Avertin) delivered by intraperitoneal (IP) injection, IP-injected ketamine:xylazine or ketamine:medetomidine mix, and inhaled isoflurane. To determine if the anesthesia used might affect the number of animals produced, each anesthetic agent was tested in implant surgeries and the numbers of pups produced using both wild-type and GEM embryos were assessed. Parallel studies were conducted in institutions in the EU and in the USA. Based on a direct comparison of pregnancy status, number of pups born, and number of pups weaned for each agent, we found no statistical differences among the three anesthetics. We conclude that all three anesthetic agents tested are equally useful for implantation surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.affiliation: CNR Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology - Campus International Development (EMMA-INFRAFRONTIER-IMPC), Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scavizzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Chad N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Wenli
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: CNR Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology - Campus International Development (EMMA-INFRAFRONTIER-IMPC), Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raspa
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA jpthorn@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Jan V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Parker-Thornburg
mesh_terms: D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000009:adverse effects; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000009:adverse effects; D007649:Ketamine / Q000009:adverse effects; D051379:Mice / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate
chemical_list: D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; C062527:tribromoethanol; D000431:Ethanol; D007649:Ketamine; D007530:Isoflurane
keywords: GEM models; anesthesia; animal use; embryo culture; refinement