title: An Improved Method for Rapid Intubation of the Trachea in Mice.
abstract: Despite some anatomical and physiological differences, mouse models continue to be an essential tool for studying human lung disease. Bleomycin toxicity is a commonly used model to study both acute lung injury and fibrosis, and multiple methods have been developed for administering bleomycin (and other toxic agents) into the lungs. However, many of these approaches, such as transtracheal instillation, have inherent drawbacks, including the need for strong anesthetics and survival surgery. This paper reports a quick, reproducible method of intratracheal intubation that involves mild inhaled anesthesia, visualization of the trachea, and the use of a surrogate spirometer to confirm exposure. As a proof of concept, 8-12 week old C57BL/6 mice were administered either 2.0 U/kg of bleomycin or an equivalent volume of PBS, and both damage and fibrotic endpoints were measured post-exposure. This procedure allows researchers to treat a large cohort of mice in a relatively short period with little expense and minimal post-procedure care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington; Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Tyler.Vandivort@cshs.org.
authors.forename: Tyler C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Vandivort
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Dowon
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Parks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors