Renal Organotypic Culture on Chicken CAM: A Technique for Transplantation of Murine Kidney Explants on Chicken CAM to Induce Formation of Renal Vascular Architecture

Chicken chorioallantoic membrane, or CAM, is a highly vascularized and naturally immunodeficient layer present beneath the eggshell. CAM serves as an ideal model for xenografting – a heterologous transfer of tissue from a donor organism to the recipient of another species.

To perform renal organotypic culture on chicken CAM, begin by taking a mini-reservoir with a permeable membrane present at the base. Invert the mini-reservoir and position it over a drop of media present in a Petri dish. This ensures that the membrane is in direct contact with the media. Transfer the murine kidney explants to the pre-wet membrane. Aspirate the excess media around the kidneys.

Incubate to facilitate the attachment of the kidney explants to the membrane. Next, take an ex-ovo culture from an embryonic chicken exhibiting a fully developed CAM. Locate the prominent blood vessels peripheral to the embryo. Take the reservoir with attached kidney explants and invert it over the CAM such that the membrane presses the kidney explants against the CAM tissue.

Supplement the reservoir with media to support the growth of kidney explants and prevent their shrinkage. Cultivate for a prolonged duration. The CAM blood vessels infiltrate the transplanted kidney and induce vascularization within the kidney explants, stimulating the functional kidney's recapitulation on CAM tissue.