title: Analysis of activity and motor coordination in rats undergoing stereotactic surgery and implantation of a cannula into the dorsal hippocampus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stereotactic surgery is used to place electrodes or cannulas in the brain in order to study the function of several brain structures in preclinical research. The hippocampus has been extensively studied with this methodology due to its involvement in a wide range of neurological, cognitive, emotional, and affective disorders. However, the effects of stereotactic surgery on coordination and motor activity should be evaluated in order to determine whether this surgical procedure causes any neurological alterations that may bias the results of studies incorporating this technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the effects of stereotactic surgery and implantation of a cannula into the hippocampus of female Wistar rats on the motor activity, forced swim, and rotarod tests. The stage of the oestrous cycle was included in the statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stereotactic surgery had no impact on any of the motor activity variables assessed in the open field (squares crossed, time spent in grooming, and rearing), forced swim (turning behaviour, lateral swimming, latency to first immobility, and time spent immobile), and rotarod (latency to fall) tests, compared with intact rats. Regardless of surgical manipulation, rats in the metestrus and diestrus stages crossed a greater number of squares and displayed longer immobility times than those in the proestrus and estrus stages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stereotactic surgery for cannula placement in the dorsal hippocampus does not affect coordination and motor activity in rats. We can therefore conclude that this procedure has no neurological complications that may interfere in the interpretation of results of studies applying this technique.
authors.affiliation: Posgrado en Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, México.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hernández-López
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología, Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, México; Facultad de Química Farmacéutica Biológica, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, México. Electronic address: juarodriguez@uv.mx.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Landa
authors.affiliation: Posgrado en Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, México.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puga-Olguín
authors.affiliation: Posgrado en Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, México.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Germán-Ponciano
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Química Farmacéutica Biológica, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, México.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rivadeneyra-Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología, Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, México; Facultad de Química Farmacéutica Biológica, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, México.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bernal-Morales
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000072601:Cannula; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Actividad locomotora; Cannula placement; Cirugía estereotáxica; Coordinación motriz; Hipocampo; Hippocampus; Implante de cánula; Locomotor activity; Microinjection; Microinyección; Motor coordination; Stereotactic surgery