Improved technique for stereotactic placement of nerve grafts between two locations inside the rat brain.
Peripheral nerve grafts have shown the ability to facilitate central axonal growth and regenerate the adult central nervous system. However, the detailed description of a technique for atraumatic graft placement within the brain is lacking. We present a stereotactic procedure to implant a peripheral nerve graft within a rat's brain with minimal brain tissue damage. The procedure permits a correct graft placement joining two chosen points, and the survival and integration of the graft in the host tissue with a light glial reaction, with evidence of central axonal growth inside the graft, at least up to 8 weeks after its implantation.
Gómez-Pinedo
Ulises
U
Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, 46013 Valencia, Spain.
Félez
M Carmen
MC
Sancho-Bielsa
Francisco J
FJ
Vidueira
Sandra
S
Cabanes
Carmen
C
Soriano
Mario
M
García-Verdugo
José M
JM
Barcia
Juan A
JA
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000601:surgery* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000637:transplantation*; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques