Bulk Electroacupuncture Operation for Mice or Young Rats

J Vis Exp. 2023 Sep 1:(199). doi: 10.3791/65648.

Abstract

Electroacupuncture (EA) is widely used to treat various health conditions. However, the underlying mechanism of EA treatment remains unclear, hindering its promotion. The mechanistic study requires mouse or rat models to address this issue. However, these animals are not obedient to the experimental process, which is time-consuming. To solve these problems, we designed a 3D-printed small animal body bulk fixator to improve the efficiency of EA's animal experiments. This video shows in detail how to use the fixator to perform bulk EA on mice or young rats. For the selection of acupoints, the anterior oblique line of vertex temporal (MS6 head) and Tianshu point (ST25 belly) were chosen to verify the effect of the fixation device with prone positioning and supine positioning. Using the 3D-printed small animal holder allows multiple rodents to be immobilized and treated simultaneously, reducing the time and resources required for the experiment. This technique could be applied to other animal models by 3D printing different sizes and could potentially be used for various fixing conditions. The device is beneficial for the promotion of experimental scientific research in EA.

Publication types

  • Video-Audio Media
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acupuncture Points
  • Animals
  • Electroacupuncture*
  • Head
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Models, Animal
  • Patient Positioning
  • Rats