Histological and Morphometric Analyses for Rat Carotid Balloon Injury Model
By: David A. Tulis2 

| Abstract |
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Experiments aimed at analyzing the response of blood vessels to mechanical injury and ensuing remodeling responses often employ
the highly characterized carotid artery balloon injury model in laboratory rats. This approach utilizes luminal insertion
of a balloon embolectomy catheter into the common carotid artery with inflation and withdrawal resulting in an injury characterized
by vascular endothelial cell (EC) denudation and medial wall distension. The adaptive response to this injury is typified
by robust vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) replication and migration, SMC apoptosis and necrosis, enhanced synthesis and
deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, partial vascular EC regeneration from the border zones, luminal narrowing,
and establishment of a neointima in time-dependent fashion. Evaluation of these adaptive responses to blood vessel injury
can include acute and longer term qualitative and quantitative measures including expression analyses, activity assays, immunostaining
for a plethora of factors and signals, and morphometry of neointima formation and gross mural remodeling. This chapter presents
a logical continuation of Chapter 1 that offers details for performing the rat carotid artery balloon injury model in a standard laboratory setting by providing
commonly used protocols for performing histological and morphometric analyses in such studies. Moreover, procedures, caveats,
and considerations included in this chapter are highly relevant for alternative animal vascular physiology/pathophysiology
studies and in particular those related to mechanisms of vascular injury and repair. Included in this chapter are specifics
for in situ perfusion-fixation, tissue harvesting and processing for both snap-frozen and paraffin-embedded protocols, specimen
embedding and sectioning, slide preparation, several standard histological staining steps, and routine morphological assessment.
Affiliation(s): (2) Cardiovascular Disease Research Program, J.L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
Book Title: Vascular Biology Protocols
Series: Methods in Molecular Medicine | Volume: 139 | Pub. Date: Dec-01-2007 | Page Range: 31-66 | DOI: 10.1007/978-1-59745-571-8_2
Subject: Molecular Medicine
Key Words: Balloon injury - Embedding - Harvesting - Histology - Medial wall - Microscopy - Morphometry - Neointima - Perfusion-fixation - Processing - Rat carotid artery - Remodeling - Sectioning - Staining
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