Yl. Huang et al., A NEW APPROACH FOR MULTIPLE SAMPLING OF CISTERNAL CEREBROSPINAL-FLUIDIN RODENTS WITH MINIMAL TRAUMA AND INFLAMMATION, Journal of neuroscience methods, 63(1-2), 1995, pp. 13-22
A new approach was developed to minimize inevitable damage to nervous
and meningeal tissue due to implantation of a sampling tube allowing m
ultiple withdrawal of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the cisterna magn
a in adult rats. A tube was secured on the atlanto-occipital membrane.
Thereafter, a hole was cut through the membrane, allowing flow of CSF
from the cisterna magna to the tube. CSF could be sampled repeatedly
for at least 1 week. There was no blood-brain barrier damage. The pres
sure in the cisterna magna remained normal as did the estimated rate o
f CSF formation. Very few blood cells contaminated the CSF. There was
very little evidence of inflammation. The nervous tissue was undamaged
as shown by exclusion of a dye-protein complex. The CSF concentration
s of the cytosolic neuronal protein neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and
of the astrocyte protein S-100 were very low. The pattern of amino ac
ids remained within normal limits. Scanning electron microscopy reveal
ed that clot and reactive changes were restricted to the vicinity of t
he connecting hole. We conclude that our approach to positioning a tub
e on the atlanto-occipital membrane and then connecting it to the cist
erna magna reproducibly and reliably enables 'atraumatic' multiple sam
pling of CSF.