Washington University School of Medicine - Cardiovascular Division - Center for Cardiovascular Research

  
MCPC

Cardiac Cath Lab

Echo Lab

Surgical Suite
 Services/Data Output
Request Forms
Staff

Exercise Testing

Telemetry Lab

Isolated Working Heart Lab


WELCOME TO THE SURGICAL SUITE!

General Information:

Our mouse OR is a dedicated microsurgical area which is in a dedicated 100sq feet room on the first floor of the CSRB. This room is maintained as only a mouse surgical area. It contains a steriotactic surgical microscope, rodent ventilator, warming apparatus, oxygen supply and specialized lighting. Here all mouse cardiac catheterization and microsurgeries are performed. Mice are transported from the CSRB basement directly to the surgical unit by Core personnel. The requested procedure is performed, mice are monitored for full recovery, and are then returned to the CSRB mouse facility.

Surgical Services & Data Output: [ request form ]

Transverse Aortic Constriction (TAC):
Operative placement of constriction on the transverse aorta. Includes recording mouse weight, echocardiography at study end, euthanasia at study end, and if desired, organ harvest and determination of left ventricular weight. Additional echocardiographic studies can be requested. Study end will be 1-week post TAC unless requested otherwise.

Data provided at study end: Spreadsheet with end echo parameters, mouse weight before surgery, surgical intervention (sham or band), and heart weight

 

Neonatal Ascending Aortic Banding (NAB):
Operative placement of a “loose” constriction on the ascending aorta of 18-22 day old mice only. Includes recording mouse weight, echocardiography at study end (8-12 weeks), euthanasia at end of study, and if desired, organ harvest and determination of left ventricular weight. Additional echocardiographic studies can be requested. Study end will be two months post NAB unless requested otherwise.

Data provided at study end: Spreadsheet with end echo parameters, mouse weight before surgery, surgical intervention (sham or band), and heart weight

 

Adult Ascending Aortic Banding (AAB):
Operative placement of constriction on ascending aorta of adult mice (preferably 18-28 gram weight). Includes recording mouse weight, 1 echo study at experiment end time, and if desired, euthanasia at study end with organ harvest and determination of left ventricular weight. Additional echocardiographic studies can be requested. Study end will be one month post AAB unless requested otherwise.

Data provided at study end: Spreadsheet with end echo parameters, mouse weight before surgery, surgical intervention (sham or band), and heart weight

 

Myocardial Infarction (MI):
Operative placement of a permanent occlusion around the left anterior descending artery of the mouse heart. Includes recording mouse weight, echocardiography at study end, and if desired, euthanasia at study end with organ harvest and left ventricular weight measurements. Additional echocardiographic studies can be requested. Study end will be one month post MI unless requested otherwise.

Data provided at study end: Spreadsheet with end echo parameters including regional wall differences, mouse weight before surgery, and surgical intervention (sham or MI)

 

Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion (with image analysis):
Operative placement of an occluder around the left anterior descending artery that is removed after 30 minutes of occlusion. The heart is allowed to reperfuse for 24 hours and is then stained to calculate a normal region, area at risk, and infarcted region. Image analysis is then performed and an end data report is provided documenting these areas as a % of the heart. No echo is included.

Data provided at study end: Images of the staining distribution in each heart slice and spreadsheet documenting %Area at risk and Infarct% of the area at risk

 

Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion (without image analysis):
Operative placement of an occluder around the left anterior descending artery that is removed after 30 minutes of occlusion. The heart is allowed to reperfuse for 24 hours and is then stained with vital dyes to delineate a normal region, area at risk, and infarcted region. No image analysis or echo is included.

Data provided at study end: No data, just a heart in formalin that has been stained with vital dyes to delineate normal, risk, and infracted tissue.

 

Tissue Fixation (in vivo heart perfusions) for Histology:
Entails carotid catheter placement, fixative injection into the heart, euthanasia and organ harvest.

Data provided at study end: A heart in formalin.

 

Customized Surgeries:
Specialized surgery not listed above but agreed upon by surgeon and investigator.

Injections of Pharmacological Agents (defined by PI): price varies (contact Carla Weinheimer)

 

Staff:

Carla Weinheimer

Education:
B.S. Animal Science – University of Illinois
M.S. Biology – Washington University in St.Louis

Title:
Research Assistant Professor
Staff Director- Cardiovascular Mouse Phenotyping Core

Work History:
1985-Present Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine

Relevant Work Experience:
>20 years of cardiovascular animal surgery


Carrie Gierasch

Education:
B.S. Animal Science – University of Missouri, Columbia

Title:
Senior Research Technician

Work History:
1998-Present Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine
1997-1998 Department of Animal Science, Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, University of Missouri, Columbia

Relevant Work Experience:
Reproductive Physiology Laboratory- Swine
Surgery & AI
Mouse Husbandry
Northern, Southern, Western Blotting
Murine Surgery

 

Pressure overload models are meant to mimic the hypertensive condition in human heart disease. This picture shows both methods of pressure overload used in our core. The transverse aortic constriction (TAC) provides an acute pressure head in adult mice and produces a 25-30% increase in LV mass. This procedure causes the heart to develop a dilated anatomy acutely, but after one day, the heart goes through a compensatory hypertrophy that is maximal at about 1 week. The second method used is the ascending aortic constriction (NAB). This procedure has been adapted from the original protocol of Lorrel, et al and involves performing the constriction in weanling mice weighing only 5-8 grams. A loose loop is tied around the aorta and the procedure causes a more clinically relevant hypertrophy in that the mice gradually grow into the constriction over time. The hypertrophy produced from this procedure is more robust and causes a 30-60% increase in LV mass, compared to shams. It is important to note that, in our hands, neither of these models commonly progresses to overt heart failure.

Production of myocardial infarctions has also become an important tool for evaluating disease processes related to diabetes, metabolic disturbances, and rhythm abnormalities. This drawing depicts the 4 common patterns of the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery in mice. There is substantial anatomical variance from mouse to mouse. Using the procedure of passing a 7-0 silk suture underneath the LAD and constricting the vessel, the apical portion of the heart becomes infarcted and begins to remodel over a 2 week period. Most mice develop a 20-50% infarcted zone after two weeks, but the area varies dramatically with the constriction location. Obviously, in panel #2 a very large area would become infracted with this constriction site, but in panel #4 a smaller area would be at risk. To normalize the analysis of infracted hearts, vital dyes can be given to define the area at risk.


 

 

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Center for Cardiovascular Research
Washington University School of Medicine