Is it possible to visualise embryonic vasculature by injecting a pregnant mouse with ink or other dyes? Could someone provide a protocol?
Hi Kay, how do you intend to visualize the embryonic vasculature?
If you are visualizing it by fluorescence then FITC-dextran or FITC-serum albumin seem the easiest way to go.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2933941/
Dear Steingrimur,
thanks for the answer. According to the mentioned paper, the FITC-detran works well to stain the vessels in the rat brain. Remains the question whether a sufficient amount would cross the placenta? I found only descriptions for injecting directly into the embryo.
Hi Kay, the placental blood barrier is more complex and intricate that I thought and it caught my interest. It is much more selective than the BBB and it is constantly changing.
There are some interesting papers that I found, but many are not well followed up, like:
"Transfer of Quantum Dots from Pregnant Mice to Pups Across the Placental Barrier"
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.200902049/full
Fascinating subject! I will keep looking.
Hi Steingrimur,
thanks for looking again. With the quantum Dots they seem to pass to some extent. Unfortunately the staining in the embryos is very diffuse. With the small particles, which can cross the placenta, that also seem to cross all embryonic tissue.
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