Chorioallantoic Membrane in the Study of Angiogenesis, Antiangiogenesis, and the Vascularization of Grafted Tissues

Abstract

The CAM is used to study molecules with angiogenic activity (Ribatti et al., 1996a, 2000a). Fertilized White Leghorn chicken eggs staged according to Hamburger and Hamilton (1951) are placed in an incubator as soon as embryogenesis starts and are kept under constant humidity at 37°C. On day 3, a square window is opened in the shell after removal of 2–3 ml of albumen to detach the CAM from the shell itself and the underlying CAM vessels are disclosed. The window is sealed with a glass and incubation goes on until the day of experiment. This technique may preserve a more physiological environment; however, it limits the area for use and observation.