A NEW TECHNIQUE - SERIAL PUNCTURE OF THE CISTERNA-MAGNA FOR OBTAININGCEREBROSPINAL-FLUID IN THE MOUSE - APPLICATION IN A MODEL OF HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS ENCEPHALITIS

This report describes a new technique for obtaining cerebrospinal flui d from the living mouse (SJLn/NBom) in a model of herpes simplex virus encephalitis which is also applicable to other mouse models. The punc ture technique was performed in living animals which had been infected with Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 strain F in the living animal. The c isterna magna was microsurgically prepared: The neck muscles were diss ected microscopically down to the dura which subsequently was puncture d by a glass micropipette. This newly developed minimally invasive tec hnique was performed in a group of living animals (n = 20) and results compared with those of a second group of perfusion fixed animals (n = 20). For the first time, repeated cerebrospinal fluid punctures of in dividual, living animals are possible. This is of great value for the assessment of new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies in experimenta l research using mouse models. In addition, this refined methodology s ignificantly reduces the number of experimental animals.