Mouse Glucose Clamp

Instech pumps, swivels and tethers are standard equipment for mouse glucose clamp experiments.

Multiple syringe pumps push glucose, insulin, drugs, tracers and replacement blood cells into a three- or four-way connector which combine and reach the animal via the jugular vein.

You will take blood samples on a second channel connected to the carotid artery through a port that is outside the cage to minimize stress. The two-channel Vascular Access Button™ elegantly exteriorizes the catheters, and PinPorts™ are used to simplify intermittent sampling.

While the surgery to place two catheters is difficult, collecting blood outside the cage from a freely-moving animal, rather than from the tail of a restrained animal, minimizes stress which will impact the data.

The Vascular Access Button™ permits quick, aseptic connection and disconnection of the IV lines, and also allows the mice to be group housed when they are not on study. The VABM2T/25GCY16R tether uses a looped wire to connect to the swivel so that the lines are visible, and includes a Y connector built-in to the button connector for tracer injections. 

The new Instech Syringe Pump is ideal for the microliter flow rates required for this technique, and adds critical pressure monitoring for occlusions that is not possible with traditional laboratory syringe pumps.

This configuration is based on the clamp technique used and taught by the Vanderbilt MMPC. If you need help with the surgery you can take in-person courses at Vanderbilt, The Jackson Laboratory or RRSSC, or live online courses from Instech.

Watch a video demonstration of mouse glucose clamp surgery and equipment.