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Aortic Ring Assay
Published on: November 24, 2009
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Ex Vivo Mouse Aortic Ring Angiogenesis Assay
Vedanta Mehta1, Marwa Mahmoud2
1Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford, UK.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|April 22, 2022
Summary
This study details an optimized ex vivo aortic ring assay protocol for studying vascular sprouting angiogenesis. The method allows for the investigation of growth factors, drugs, and genetic modifications on blood vessel formation.
Area of Science:
- * Vascular Biology and Angiogenesis Research
- * Biomedical Research Methodologies
Background:
- * Sprouting angiogenesis is crucial for physiological processes and disease.
- * The ex vivo aortic ring assay is a widely adopted model for studying angiogenesis.
- * Existing protocols require optimization for efficiency and physiological relevance.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To describe a simple and optimized protocol for the mouse aortic ring assay.
- * To provide a standardized method for investigating vascular sprouting.
- * To facilitate the study of factors influencing angiogenesis in a controlled setting.
Main Methods:
- * Harvesting and embedding mouse aortic rings in a collagen matrix.
- * Treatment of aortic rings with various agents (growth factors, drugs, genetic modifications).
- * Visualization and quantification of vascular sprouts using microscopy.
Main Results:
- * The protocol enables robust assessment of vascular sprouting.
- * Demonstrates adaptability for testing diverse biological and chemical agents.
- * Provides quantitative data on sprout formation and morphology.
Conclusions:
- * The optimized ex vivo aortic ring assay is a valuable tool for angiogenesis research.
- * This protocol offers a reliable and adaptable method for studying vascular development.
- * Facilitates the discovery of novel pro-angiogenic or anti-angiogenic compounds.
