Extracting Intact Kidney from Mouse: A Technique to Obtain Kidney Without Renal Capsule from Murine Models

In rodents, the kidney has a protective fibrous outer covering called the renal capsule and a layer of perinephric fat above it. To extract the murine kidney without the surrounding layers, begin by positioning a euthanized mouse in the supine position on a surgical bed.

Incise the abdominal skin and muscle layers. Continue to make longitudinal incisions until the abdominal cavity is exposed. Then, locate the intestines and lift them slightly. Cut underneath the intestines and remove them from the mouse's body to expose the kidneys.

Next, find the ureter and cut the underlying connective tissues so that the kidneys separate from the abdominal cavity. Excise both the kidneys individually. Place the extracted kidney into a dish containing an ice-cold buffer and observe it under a dissecting microscope.

Now, remove the perinephric fat from the kidney to visualize the renal pelvis, a funnel-like dilated part of the ureter. Snip off a portion of the renal pelvis from the base to remove the remnants of the ureter.

Finally, pierce the outer fibrous renal capsule superficially. Using the opening created, carefully peel the entire renal capsule from the kidney’s surface. This helps remove the adrenal gland – an endocrine gland attached to the renal capsule – and obtain an intact kidney.