How to anesthetize a mouse?
Anesthesia is an important consideration in the procedures of orthotopic mouse models of cancer. Choosing an anesthetic for a particular procedure may be difficult in terms of the mouse physiological conditions, the invasiveness and duration of the procedure, strain differences, etc. Fortunately, most of the animal facilities in each institution have their preferences on the choice of anesthetics and specific instructions for operation of anesthesia. Some of the most commonly used anesthetics are as follows:
Inhaled anesthetics:
Halothane, Isoflurane, methoxyflurane.
Injectable anesthetics:
Sodium Pentobarbital (Nembutal, 40-60 mg/kg body wt, i.p.): provides about 30 minutes of surgical anesthesia and 1-3 hours of sleep time.
Ketamine/xylazine (100/10 mg per kg body wt, i.p.): provides 20-30 minutes of surgical nesthesia and 1-2 hours of sleep time.
Tribromoethanol (Avertin, 125mg/kg body wt, i.p.): the mouse will remain anesthetized for approximately 15-20 minutes and recover within 30-60 minutes.