title: Technique for collecting cerebrospinal fluid in the cisterna magna of non-anesthetized rats.
abstract: We developed a technique for collecting cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the cisterna magna in non-anesthetized adult and young pup rats. In the adults, CSF was collected through a previously implanted guide cannula without previous disruption of the cisterna magna. In the pups, CSF was directly aspirated through a syringe from the cisterna in awake animals without previous surgery. In the adults, the volume of CSF collected varied from 50 to 120 microl, and in pups 7 to 10 days old, it was approximately 25 microl. The technique can easily be done by anyone who is familiar with stereotaxic surgery, and the material needed is cheap and easy to obtain commercially. A simple procedure to calculate the parameters for the implantation of guide cannula in rats other than Wistar ones is also presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500 Prédio 43422, Caixa Postal 15093, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, Brazil. arconsig@vortex.ufrgs.br
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Consiglio
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Lucion
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D003243:Consciousness; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D014696:Ventriculostomy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides