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A convenient multipurpose mouse restrainer
Journal of Immunological Methods, 47 (1981 ) 125--126
1 ~.5
Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press
A CONVENIENT MULTIPURPOSE MOUSE RESTRAINER
PAMELA
L. M O R I E A R T Y
and M A R I A
P. D E A N E
Department of Protozoology, Funda~o Oswaldo Cruz, Caixa Postal 926, 20000 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Received 7 July 1981, accepted 9 July 1981)
A convenient, inexpensive, easily constructed mouse restrainer is described and illustrated. The restrainer has the advantage over other models that while the animal is effectively immobilized, time-consuming and potentially injurious binding of extremities is avoided, and selected areas such as the back, extremities and tail remain accessible for manipulations.
A mouse restrainer originally devised by one of us (M.P.D.) to permit feeding o f triatomid bugs on mice has been adapted to serve for a variety of immunological and other techniques. The restrainer has the advantage over other models known to us t h a t while the animal is effectively immobilized, time-consuming and potentially injurious binding o f extremities is avoided, and selected areas such as the back, extremities and tail remain accessible for manipulations. Materials required for construction of the restrainer include plastic screening, 1 cm wide Velcro ® h o o k and loop closure tape, surgical adhesive tape, and an office stapler with rustproof staples. A square o f screening a b o u t 15 cm/side is cut, and raw edges are b o u n d with adhesive tape to prevent raveling. To determine correct placement o f the Velcro ® tape which will enclose the mouse's b o d y , a mouse can be tightly pinned into the folded square with straight pins and the periphery of the head and b o d y area marked on the screen with felt tip pen. One cm wide strips of adhesive tape are placed on one side o f the screening, coinciding with the markings, to reinforce the plastic, and the h o o k and loop faces o f the Velcro ® tape are then stapled to the inside o f the restrainer as illustrated in Fig. 1. If the apparatus is to be used by a rubber-gloved operator, staples should be placed so t h a t their ends appear on the outside o f the restrainer and are then masked with a further strip o f adhesive tape. Any modifications to allow access to particular b o d y parts can be cut into the screening and edges b o u n d with adhesive tape. Construction o f a restrainer takes about 15 min. The restrain a mouse, the head and part of the side of Velcro ® tape are closed, and the animal is run on its f r o n t legs into the pocket so formed, holding and guiding it by the base of the tail; once the mouse is enclosed the 0022-1759/81/0000--0000/$02.75 © 1981 Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press
126 J
Fig. 1. M o u s e r e s t r a i n e r . A: r e s t r a i n e r , w i t h a d a p t a t i o n for s u b c u t a n e o u s i m p l a n t a t i o n , enclosing a m o u s e . B: r e s t r a i n e r for smaller a n i m a l s o p e n to s h o w p l a c e m e n t o f h o o k (r) a n d l o o p (o) faces o f V e l c r o ® tape. In a d d i t i o n t o t h e ' w i n d o w ' for i m p l a n t a t i o n s , m o d e l B s h o w s an a d a p t a t i o n ( a r r o w ) to p e r m i t access t o left rear p a w w h e n used in reversed p o s i t i o n .
remaining Velcro ® tape is closed behind it. A c o m e r of the tape can then be re-opened to extract a paw; if the restrainer is very tight, a small air vent can be opened at the nose. With a little practice and minimal cooperation by the mouse, restraining takes 5--10 sec. The restrainer is easily cleaned after use with soapy water and a brush. It can be disinfected in solutions, autoclaved, or incinerated if necessary. We have used the restrainer successfully for dorsal subcutaneous implantations and for paw injections of infectious material (the operator's hands remain behind the needle). The restrainer has been used for insect feeding for periods o f u p t o 1 h with no apparent ill effects to the animal. Though we have n o t used the apparatus for restraining animals for irradiation, it would appear to be suitable for this purpose, especially if some part of the b o d y (e.g., eyes during UV irradiation} must be shielded during the operation. The restrainer thus permits a variety of manipulations to be carried out by a single operator while avoiding the use of anesthetics, which may introduce an unwanted variable into experiments.
1 ~.5
Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press
A CONVENIENT MULTIPURPOSE MOUSE RESTRAINER
PAMELA
L. M O R I E A R T Y
and M A R I A
P. D E A N E
Department of Protozoology, Funda~o Oswaldo Cruz, Caixa Postal 926, 20000 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Received 7 July 1981, accepted 9 July 1981)
A convenient, inexpensive, easily constructed mouse restrainer is described and illustrated. The restrainer has the advantage over other models that while the animal is effectively immobilized, time-consuming and potentially injurious binding of extremities is avoided, and selected areas such as the back, extremities and tail remain accessible for manipulations.
A mouse restrainer originally devised by one of us (M.P.D.) to permit feeding o f triatomid bugs on mice has been adapted to serve for a variety of immunological and other techniques. The restrainer has the advantage over other models known to us t h a t while the animal is effectively immobilized, time-consuming and potentially injurious binding o f extremities is avoided, and selected areas such as the back, extremities and tail remain accessible for manipulations. Materials required for construction of the restrainer include plastic screening, 1 cm wide Velcro ® h o o k and loop closure tape, surgical adhesive tape, and an office stapler with rustproof staples. A square o f screening a b o u t 15 cm/side is cut, and raw edges are b o u n d with adhesive tape to prevent raveling. To determine correct placement o f the Velcro ® tape which will enclose the mouse's b o d y , a mouse can be tightly pinned into the folded square with straight pins and the periphery of the head and b o d y area marked on the screen with felt tip pen. One cm wide strips of adhesive tape are placed on one side o f the screening, coinciding with the markings, to reinforce the plastic, and the h o o k and loop faces o f the Velcro ® tape are then stapled to the inside o f the restrainer as illustrated in Fig. 1. If the apparatus is to be used by a rubber-gloved operator, staples should be placed so t h a t their ends appear on the outside o f the restrainer and are then masked with a further strip o f adhesive tape. Any modifications to allow access to particular b o d y parts can be cut into the screening and edges b o u n d with adhesive tape. Construction o f a restrainer takes about 15 min. The restrain a mouse, the head and part of the side of Velcro ® tape are closed, and the animal is run on its f r o n t legs into the pocket so formed, holding and guiding it by the base of the tail; once the mouse is enclosed the 0022-1759/81/0000--0000/$02.75 © 1981 Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press
126 J
Fig. 1. M o u s e r e s t r a i n e r . A: r e s t r a i n e r , w i t h a d a p t a t i o n for s u b c u t a n e o u s i m p l a n t a t i o n , enclosing a m o u s e . B: r e s t r a i n e r for smaller a n i m a l s o p e n to s h o w p l a c e m e n t o f h o o k (r) a n d l o o p (o) faces o f V e l c r o ® tape. In a d d i t i o n t o t h e ' w i n d o w ' for i m p l a n t a t i o n s , m o d e l B s h o w s an a d a p t a t i o n ( a r r o w ) to p e r m i t access t o left rear p a w w h e n used in reversed p o s i t i o n .
remaining Velcro ® tape is closed behind it. A c o m e r of the tape can then be re-opened to extract a paw; if the restrainer is very tight, a small air vent can be opened at the nose. With a little practice and minimal cooperation by the mouse, restraining takes 5--10 sec. The restrainer is easily cleaned after use with soapy water and a brush. It can be disinfected in solutions, autoclaved, or incinerated if necessary. We have used the restrainer successfully for dorsal subcutaneous implantations and for paw injections of infectious material (the operator's hands remain behind the needle). The restrainer has been used for insect feeding for periods o f u p t o 1 h with no apparent ill effects to the animal. Though we have n o t used the apparatus for restraining animals for irradiation, it would appear to be suitable for this purpose, especially if some part of the b o d y (e.g., eyes during UV irradiation} must be shielded during the operation. The restrainer thus permits a variety of manipulations to be carried out by a single operator while avoiding the use of anesthetics, which may introduce an unwanted variable into experiments.