Stereotaxic placement of cannulae in cerebral ventricles of the pig

Abstract

We have developed and employed a stereotaxic coordinate system for the pig brain based on eternal skull landmarks. Sagittal, coronal, and horizontal planes were defined. Based on histological maps and ventricular casts, the coordinates for locating the lateral ventricles were described. Guide tubes leading to the lateral ventricles have been chronically implanted. This access route to the ventricular system has been used for stimulation of the dipsogenic response with angiotensin and for withdrawal of cerebrospinal fluid. Solved and unsolved problems arising with these procedures have been defined.

The pig model in brain imaging and neurosurgery

“…For example, anatomical considerations are crucial for brain surgical intervention. In pig, the brain is protected by a massive skull which changes in size and shape during the growth, in addition to individual variability in skull structure (Poceta et al, 1981;van Eerdenburg and Dierx, 2002). Moreover, there is a dramatic increase in thickness with the animal growing rendering the surgical intervention difficult (Figure 9).…”

“…Stereotaxic and image guided surgery Several stereotaxic atlases of the pig brain have been described (Yoshikawa, 1968;Szteyn et al, 1980; SalinasZeballos et al, 1986;Felix et al, 1999;Watanabe et al, 2001) as well as specific stereotaxic instruments either for piglets (Salinas-Zeballos et al, 1986), pigs weighing between 30 and 40 kg (Poceta et al, 1981;Saito et al, 1998) or adults (Marcilloux et al, 1989; van Eerdenburg and Dierx, 2002). The stereotaxic frame devoted to the pig developed by Marcilloux et al (1989) was based on the fixation of the skull by the infraorbital ridges, the hard palate and the auditory canals.…”

“…The stereotaxic frame devoted to the pig developed by Marcilloux et al (1989) was based on the fixation of the skull by the infraorbital ridges, the hard palate and the auditory canals. The ear-bars were carried by a swivelling system allowing adaptation to the orientation of the auditory canals, perpendicular to the sagittal plane in the new-born piglet but oblique in the weaned pig (Poceta et al, 1981;Salinas-Zeballos et al, 1986;Marcilloux et al, 1989). Unfortunately, this system may have some adverse effects on the eardrums and cannot be used with Gö ttingen mini-pigs.…”

The use of pigs in neuroscience: Modeling brain disorders

“…A stereotaxic instrument and a brain atlas with stereotaxic coordinates are essential for the accurate implantation of electrodes and cannulae, for the placement of injections, or focal injections of tract-tracers or neurotoxins in the brain. Several stereotaxic instruments have been developed for the pig (Marcilloux et al, 1989;Poceta et al, 1981;Saito et al, 1998;Salinas-Zeballos et al, 1986), and a number of stereotaxic atlases of the pig brain are available (Felix et al, 1999;Salinas-Zeballos et al, 1986;Szteyn et al, 1980;Watanabe et al, 2001;Yoshikawa, 1968). However, consistent stereotaxy in the pig brain is complicated by the presence of a large, pneumatized frontal sinus, and the oblique-orientated auditory canals, which require firm fixation of the skull.…”

Effects of Central and Peripheral Administration of Neuropeptide S on the Level of Serum Proinflammatory Cytokines in Pigs

“…cannula using a stereotaxic procedure as previously described [31]. The correct position of the cannula was routinely inspected before injection and checked postmortem by visualization of the inner point of insertion as previously reported [32,33,34,35]. Efflux of cerebrospinal fluid was used to verify that the cannula was positioned in the lateral cerebral ventricle during the experiment [36].…”