Performing Colonoscopic-Guided Pinch Biopsies in Mice and Evaluating Subsequent Tissue Changes

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Cellular Biology
• Animal Models

Background:

• Studying gastrointestinal (GI) tract diseases requires understanding acute injury and wound healing.
• The murine colonic pinch biopsy model is valuable but faces challenges in wound induction and tracking.
• Standardized tissue preparation is crucial for accurate histologic and molecular analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a detailed method for biopsy-induced injury in the colon.
• To describe reliable monitoring of wound closure using repeat colonoscopies.
• To enable standardized tissue collection for molecular and histologic analyses.

Main Methods:

• Biopsy-induced injury in murine colon.
• Monitoring wound closure via serial colonoscopies.
• Standardized tissue sectioning and preparation for analysis.

Main Results:

• Consistent and reproducible measurements of wound size.
• Successful collection of wound bed tissue for molecular analyses.
• Visualization of the wound bed in sectioned tissues.

Conclusions:

• This method enhances the study of acute injury response and wound healing in the colon.
• It facilitates research into luminal-host interactions within the GI tract.
• The technique provides a reliable platform for investigating GI disease mechanisms.