To begin, use a three milliliter syringe to apply a thin line of silicone gel into the groove beneath the MC device. Using number three forceps gently position the MC device into the well of a 48 well plate. Place the device into a 48 well plate one day before harvesting the dorsal root ganglion.
Place the euthanized rat on the dissection platform. Using large blunt nose scissors, make an incision through the skin at the base of the cervical spine and extend it down the length of the spine. To further drain blood from the spinal canal, cut beneath the shoulder blades and through the muscle to sever major blood vessels.
Using large sharp nose scissors, cut the muscle away from the spine, then remove the dorsal segments of the vertebrae. Use straight rongeur and sharp nose scissors to remove the spinous and transverse processes of the vertebrae starting at the cervical end and moving towards the lumbar end. Afterward, remove the spinal cord.
Using small sharp nose scissors, carefully sever the nerve roots connected to the dorsal root ganglia along both sides of the spinal cord. Now cut the cervical end of the spinal cord and gradually lift it out of the spinal canal, severing any remaining nerve roots connected to the dorsal root ganglia. To expose the dorsal root ganglia, use a curved rongeur to remove additional lateral parts of the vertebrae.
Using number three forceps and straight edge spring scissors, extract the dorsal root ganglia between each vertebra level. Grip the spinal nerve roots from the dorsal root ganglia. Gently pull them out of the pocket and cut through the other end of the spinal nerve.
Lastly, place the dorsal root ganglia into wells of a 24 well plate on ice.
