ABSTRACT
Plastic models of specimens provide true three-dimensional models of blood vessels, tissues, and organs for education and research. Various corrosion casting techniques have been utilized to produce replicas of vascular systems. The Methyl Methacrylate Embedding and Casting Kit can be purchased from Polysciences. The plastic models of brain vessels obtained from corrosion casting provide a relatively accurate assessment of vascular anatomy and diameter of the targeted vessel and its distance with respect to the carotid bifurcation. Under heavy anesthesia, the animal will be transcardially perfused with heparinized normal saline to remove the blood from the vessels. Prior to maceration, it is recommended to remove any excess skin and tissue from the specimen to speed up the process. The monomer base solution, catalyst, and the promoter should be mixed in appropriate proportions to initiate the polymerization process prior to injection. The polymerization of the resin is an exothermic process.
