Simple and Effective Procedure for Hemostasis in Mouse Arteries

During arterial puncture or cannulation in mice, permanent ligation of the artery is often required due to difficulty achieving hemostasis after needle withdrawal. This leads to permanent ischemic injury in the supplied tissue region. Such localized ischemia frequently induces secondary complications, compromising experimental outcomes in animal models. The present method aims to seal the puncture site post-procedure while maintaining normal blood flow, thereby preventing postoperative ischemia. This method involves harvesting an adipose tissue fragment from the experimental animal itself, performing arterial puncture using standard techniques, and then wrapping the puncture site with the fat pad to achieve hemostasis while maintaining blood flow. In this study, bilateral common carotid artery puncture was performed on mice, followed by hemostasis using a fat-wrapping technique. Laser speckle contrast imaging(LSCI) revealed no differences in cerebral blood flow changes between the sham and operated groups of mice, and no significant changes were observed in preoperative versus postoperative cerebral blood flow measurements in the operated group. Histological assessment performed at 7, 14, and 28 days after surgery revealed that: (1) preserved brain architecture (H&E staining), (2) intact neuronal morphology without degenerative changes (Nissl staining), and (3) absence of pathological alterations in brain sections. This arterial hemostasis technique capitalizes on the pliable nature of adipose tissue and physiological coagulation mechanisms. The procedure involves: (1) wrapping autologous fat around the puncture site, (2) securing it with sutures to ensure optimal contact with the arterial adventitia, and (3) allowing escaping blood to permeate the fat-artery interface where it undergoes coagulation. This triple-action mechanism achieves reliable hemostasis while preserving arterial patency and preventing ischemic complications post-operatively. The method demonstrates notable procedural simplicity, clinical efficacy, and excellent translational potential.