www.neomed.edu/microecho

1. Mouse Microsurgery and
echocardiography
workshop
Vahagn Ohanyan, MD, PhD
vohanyan@neomed.edu
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Rootstown, Ohio, 44272

2.  Echo guided intra-myocardial and intra-ventricular
injection
 Stress echocardiography: measurement
of cardiac function and blood pressure
changes during stress test

3. Echo guided intra-myocardial and intra-ventricular injection
A B
Surgical towel Ultrasound
scanhead
Preparation of mouse:

4. Selection of needle and syringes

5. Intra-ventricular injection
Volume for bolus injection:
Mice: < 50 ul
Rats~300g: <150 ul
For small volume injection use Hamilton needle(27-30G) and syringes (sterilize before using)
Hamilton 10 μl syrung C

6. Echo guided insertion of 27G needle
27 G Needle The tip of the needle

7. LV Ventricle injection
Video
Before Needle inside the LV Cavity

8. Injection of saline into LV Ventricle
Video

9. Intra-myocardial Injection
• Use very small amount of solution to inject in
one site. Large amount of the drug (solution
can damage or rupture the ventricular wall).
• For mice 10-15 ul in one site
• For rats 20-30 ul (~300 g rat)
• Sterilize the needle before insertion.
• Prepare the animal as described in intra-ventricular
injection section

10. Positioning needle inside the LV wall
The tip of the needle LV anterior wall
The tip of the needle
A
Video

11. Intra-myocardial injection
Vedeo
Needle is inside the LV cavity Needle inside the LV Wall

12. PV Loop catheter insertion into LV
ventricle trough carotid artery
• For carotid artery isolation, catheterization see
page 53.
• Clean the mouse chest for echocardiography as
described in transthoracic echocardiography
section.
• Find parasternal long axis view and clear aortic
root.

13. Parasternal long axis view
Video

14. PV catheter inside the LV cavity
Video
Pressure-volume catheter
Left ventricle

15. Incorrect and correct position of the
probe
Incorrect position Correct position

16. Stress echocardiography
• If you want to remove vagal reflex, treat the
animals with ganglionic blocker
Norepinephrine or Dobutaminecontinuous
injection is commonly used for experimental
protocols.
• Get all your measurement at plateau, which
usually reaches after 30 second injection

17. Position of echo scanhead
• After finding the desirable position (M mode
or Doppler) fix the probe and do not change
any adjustments. All this must be constant.
Baseline During NE injection

18. SEE ONE ,
DO ONE ,
THEACH ONE,
BECOME A CONTRIBUTRE

21. • For more information visit our website:
• www.neomed.edu/microecho
• https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Microsurgery-
Small-Animal-Echocardiography-
5022068?home=&gid=5022068&trk=my_groups-tile-
grp
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mouse-
Microsurgery-and-Echocardiography-
Workshop/398774443577599