Vessel painting technique for visualizing the cerebral vascular architecture of the mouse.

Vessel painting is a simple, cost-effective way to visualize the vascular architecture of the mouse brain and other organs. DiI is a lipophilic carbocyanine dye that binds to lipid membranes and is commonly used for tract tracing in the brain. After perfusion with PBS to remove the blood, perfusion with a special DiI solution allows direct staining of the vasculature. This step is followed by perfusion fixation and removal of the brain from the skull. Pial vessels can be directly imaged using a standard fluorescent microscope. To acquire images of the whole brain, a montage of images at different focal planes is assembled. Basic cerebral vascular anatomy is reviewed in the context of vessel painting, and examples are presented showing enhanced collateralization in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome. Vessel painting offers a cost-effective and efficient alternative to more complex approaches such as corrosion casting.