Enhanced Spatial Mapping of Mouse Gastric Muscle Layers Using a Modified Swiss Roll Technique.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Molecular Biology
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Spatial "omics" technologies offer insights into cellular interactions within the gastric neuromuscular apparatus.
• Consistent tissue sampling and orientation are crucial for analyzing regional differences (fundus, corpus, antrum).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a modified "Swiss roll" technique for mouse stomachs to enable comprehensive spatial omics analysis.
• To optimize tissue fixation, orientation, and immunofluorescence staining for high-quality cryosections.

Main Methods:

• A modified "Swiss roll" technique was adapted for mouse stomachs, focusing on flat fixation and precise positioning.
• All major anatomical regions of the stomach were embedded and visualized in a single cryosection.
• Immunofluorescence staining protocols were optimized for enhanced cellular marker visualization.

Main Results:

• The modified "Swiss roll" technique successfully generated consistently oriented cryosections of the entire mouse stomach.
• High-quality visualization of cellular markers across different gastric regions was achieved.
• The protocol minimized tissue loss and experimental variability, facilitating side-by-side comparisons.

Conclusions:

• This optimized "Swiss roll" method provides a practical and scalable tool for spatial omics research in the mouse stomach.
• Enhanced tissue preservation and spatial orientation enable detailed study of gastric biology in physiological and pathological states.
• The technique supports comparative analyses of gastric regions, advancing our understanding of stomach function and disease.