Vascular microdissection, perfusion, and excision of the murine arterial tree for use in atherogenic disease investigations

Historically, studies of atherosclerosis and vascular disease have been performed in larger animal species, other than small rodents. Published information on vascular dissection in mice, because of the technical challenges it presents, has been limited. However, with the advent of transgenic technology, such procedures are becoming more commonplace. In particular, mice in which genes such as LDL or apolipoprotein E have been 'knocked-out' have recently provided powerful small animal models for such work. The methodology presented provides a clear, accurate, and detailed description for removing the entire mouse aorta for further analysis in atherogenic investigations. Thus, our article likely will provide a useful guide to those new to this technique, and for researchers undertaking similar studies, and the technique could be adapted to other species easily.