Hi, i've extracted RNA from other tissues, such as liver, and i use TRIZOL reagent, and an homogeneizator (sorry for bad english). 

Kindly check link below

http://www.kurabo.co.jp/bio/biodocument/eng/QuickGene_Application_Data_RA-b_Total%20RNA%20Extraction%20from%20Tissue%20of%20Animal.pdf

http://www.protocol-online.org/biology-forums/blood.html

http://scihub.org/ABJNA/PDF/2010/4/1-4-448-450.pdf

http://www3.appliedbiosystems.com/cms/groups/mcb_support/documents/generaldocuments/cms_041270.pdf

Thanks

Hi, 

I would agree with Agustina as we routinely use TRI reagent and a bead-mill type homogeniser very successfully on many tissue types. 

I would check your sample collection method though - you say you snap-freeze in RNAlater whereas the protocol calls for an overnight incubation in RNAlater at 4 degrees before freezing (a couple of hours at RT also works). If you do not allow the solution to penetrate the tissue properly you will have RNA degradation. 

We have not extracted from arteries but I assume it's quite fibrous and hard to homogenise. In this case you may want to extend homogenisation time and/or increase the amount of tissue you are extracting from. 

I hope you can solve the problem. 

 Hi Gautham,

I worked 5 years in an NGS Core Sequencing lab where I routinely QCed RNA extracted by a variety of methods.  RNA-later is not the best for high quality RNA extractions, & Qiagen RNA columns in particular have been known to introduce contaminants.  Try -Zol based (TriZol or NucleoZol), or other non-Zol equivalent reagents (such as from  Zymo, or Matchery-Nagel), they tend to yield much higher quality RNA & quantity of RNA.

Also, if you are using column based methods, in the final extraction step split your final extraction volume in 1/2, & do 2 spins with a short (5 minute) incubation step before spinning.  The 1st will get the majority of your RNA, & the 2nd will get anything the 1st left behind.  This is a good strategy anytime you are extracting anything from columns.

Best of luck!

Sélène