A closed chamber for intravital microscopy of the rat mesentery under controlled oxygen tension and temperature.

An airtight and watertight closed chamber for intravital microscopy of the rat mesentery was developed. It incorporates an oxygen microelectrode and a thermistor for monitoring the local environment around the mesentery, as well as a heater for controlling the chamber temperature. This chamber provides an alternative to the superfusion method for intravital microscopy of the mesenteric microcirculation under circumstances where well-defined experimental conditions are required.