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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Protoc Immunol. 2018 Apr;121(1):e44. doi: 10.1002/cpim.44

Figure 1. Removal of brain and meninges from cranium.

Figure 1

A. This picture shows the head of a perfused mouse. The skull cap has been cut and lifted, exposing the underlying brain. Note that the perfused brain tissue is free of blood and appears white. Blood in the brain tissue is a sign of a poor perfusion. The skull cap with attached meninges is removed from the cranium by using fine scissors to cut from the foramen magnum, laterally to the superior aspect of the olfactory bulb. This is done on both sides. B-C. Once the skull cap is lifted, it can be removed entirely. Immune cells can be isolated from the brain in panel B using Basic Protocol 1 and from the meninges attached to the skull cap in panel C using Basic Protocol 2. The meninges are removed from the surface of the skull cap by gently pulling off the membranous layer using curved forceps.