Figure 1

Dissection, preparation and cannulation of mouse vascular tissue. In this figure, mouse thoracic aorta is shown as an example. a. Mouse thoracic cavity is exposed, and heart (red arrow) is displaced to better reveal the lung (blue arrow) and aorta (white arrows). b. After the aorta is dissected out from the mouse, blood is perfused out from the lumen with a 30 gauge needle. The encapsulation of vessel by fat and connective tissue is visible. c. Aorta is cleaned by removing the surrounding tissues. d. The aorta is then cannulated and tied with silk suture to form a surgeon’s knot.