A broadly adaptable protocol for isolating Kupffer cells from non-model species: application to Mastomys natalensis and its susceptibility to Old World mammarenaviruses

This protocol provides a robust, reproducible, and species-flexible method for isolating viable Kupffer cells from non-model rodents without requiring species-specific reagents. It enables functional, phenotypic, and virological studies in primary hepatic macrophages from <i>M. natalensis</i> and can be adapted to other wildlife reservoirs, supporting comparative immunology, zoonotic disease ecology, and host-pathogen interaction research in under-characterized species.