title: New lumbar method for monitoring cerebrospinal fluid pressure in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Monitoring cerebrospinal fluid pressure or intracranial pressure (ICP) is crucial in the study of neurosurgical disorders. In the present study, we report a new lumbar method for monitoring ICP in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  A PE10 catheter connected to a pressure transducer was placed into the subarachnoid space of L5 through the duramater after laminectomy to record lumbar cerebrospinal fluid pressure (lumbar-ICP). ICP at the cisterna magna (cisterna-ICP) was recorded simultaneously via a catheter in the subarachnoid space at the cisterna magna. Eighteen anesthetized adult male S-D rats were subjected to baseline recording followed by either experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) induced by intravascular puncture method or experimental intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) induced by blood injection with a stereotaxic system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline lumbar-ICP and cisterna-ICP varied between 6 and 8 mmHg, and respiratory variation could be detected. A similar acute response to SAH was recorded in both the lumbar-ICP and cisterna-ICP in all rats. In rats subjected to SAH, the lumbar catheter continuously and accurately monitored lumbar-ICP, and reliable pressure tracings were obtained for up to 24 h after SAH. However, continued cisterna-ICP monitoring was abandoned in two rats in the cisterna magna method due to obstruction of the catheter by blood clots (hematoma).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This new lumbar-ICP method is simple, safe, easy, and reliable in rats. Continued lumbar-ICP measurements provided monitoring for up to 24 h after experimental manipulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, P.O. Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA.
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kusaka
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Calvert
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smelley
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nanda
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000600:supply & distribution; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000503:physiopathology; D015170:Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002946:Cisterna Magna / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014160:Transducers, Pressure / Q000600:supply & distribution