Detailed protocol for a corneal thermal cauterization-based (lymph-)angiogenesis assay in mice
Anh-Co K. Truong,
Lisa M. Becker,
Nora Dekoning,
Ann Bouché,
Koen Veys,
Baharak Hosseinkhani,
Mieke Dewerchin,
Guy Eelen,
Peter Carmeliet
Affiliations
Anh-Co K. Truong
Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), KU Leuven, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Lisa M. Becker
Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), KU Leuven, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Nora Dekoning
Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), KU Leuven, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; NanoHealth and Optical Imaging Group, Translational Cell and Tissue Research Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Ann Bouché
Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), KU Leuven, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Koen Veys
Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), KU Leuven, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Baharak Hosseinkhani
Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), KU Leuven, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Mieke Dewerchin
Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), KU Leuven, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Guy Eelen
Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), KU Leuven, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Peter Carmeliet
Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), KU Leuven, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Corresponding author at: Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), KU Leuven, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, the formation of new blood or lymphatic vessels, respectively, from preexisting vasculature is essential during embryonic development, but also occurs during tissue repair and in pathological conditions (cancer; ocular disease; ischemic, infectious and inflammatory disorders), which are all characterized to a certain extent by inflammatory conditions. Hence, a rapid, inexpensive, feasible / technically easy, reliable assay of inflammation-induced (lymph-)angiogenesis is highly valuable. In this context, the corneal thermal cauterization assay in mice is a simple, low-cost, reproducible, insightful and labor-saving assay to gauge the role of inflammation in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no standardized protocol to perform this assay. Here, we provide a step-by-step description of the model's procedures, which include: • The thermal cauterization of the corneas, • Enucleation and dissection of the corneas, • Subsequent immunofluorescence staining of the neovasculature, and morphometric analysis.We also discuss ethical considerations and aspects related to animal welfare guidelines. Altogether, this paper will help to increase the reproducibility of the corneal thermal cauterization model and facilitate its use for angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis research.
