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Pérez-Martín E, Coto-Vilcapoma A, Castilla-Silgado J, Rodríguez-Cañón M, Prado C, Álvarez G, Álvarez-Vega MA, Fernández-García B, Menéndez-González M, Tomás-Zapico C. Refining Stereotaxic Neurosurgery Techniques and Welfare Assessment for Long-Term Intracerebroventricular Device Implantation in Rodents. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2627. [PMID: 37627418 PMCID: PMC10452028 DOI: 10.3390/ani13162627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Stereotaxic surgeries enable precise access to specific brain regions, being of particular interest for chronic intracerebroventricular drug delivery. However, the challenge of long-term studies at this level is to allow the implantation of drug storage devices and their correct intrathecal connection while guaranteeing animal welfare during the entire study period. In this study, we propose an optimized method for safe intrathecal device implantation, focusing on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative procedures, following the 3Rs principle and animal welfare regulations. Our optimized protocol introduces three main refinements. Firstly, we modify the dimensions of the implantable devices, notably diminishing the device-to-mouse weight ratio. Secondly, we use a combination of cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive and UV light-curing resin, which decreases surgery time, improves healing, and notably minimizes cannula detachment or adverse effects. Thirdly, we develop a customized welfare assessment scoresheet to accurately monitor animal well-being during long-term implantations. Taken together, these refinements positively impacted animal welfare by minimizing the negative effects on body weight, surgery-related complications, and anxiety-like behaviors. Overall, the proposed refinements have the potential to reduce animal use, enhance experimental data quality, and improve reproducibility. Additionally, these improvements can be extended to other neurosurgical techniques, thereby advancing neuroscience research, and benefiting the scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Pérez-Martín
- Neuroscience Innovative Technologies S.L., Neurostech, 33428 Llanera, Spain (C.P.)
| | - Almudena Coto-Vilcapoma
- Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Fisiología, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Juan Castilla-Silgado
- Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Fisiología, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | | | - Catuxa Prado
- Neuroscience Innovative Technologies S.L., Neurostech, 33428 Llanera, Spain (C.P.)
| | - Gabriel Álvarez
- Neuroscience Innovative Technologies S.L., Neurostech, 33428 Llanera, Spain (C.P.)
| | - Marco Antonio Álvarez-Vega
- Departamento de Cirugía, Área de Cirugía, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Benjamín Fernández-García
- Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Fisiología, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Área de Anatomía, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Manuel Menéndez-González
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Cristina Tomás-Zapico
- Departamento de Biología Funcional, Área de Fisiología, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
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Experimenter familiarization is a crucial prerequisite for assessing behavioral outcomes and reduces stress in mice not only under chronic pain conditions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2289. [PMID: 36759654 PMCID: PMC9911644 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29052-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodent behavior is affected by different environmental conditions. These do not only comprise experimental and housing conditions but also familiarization with the experimenter. However, specific effects on pain-related behavior and chronic pain conditions have not been examined. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of different housing conditions, using individually ventilated and standard open top cages, inverted day-night cycles, and experimenter familiarization on male mice following peripheral neuropathy using the spared nerve injury (SNI) model. Using a multimodal approach, we evaluated evoked pain-related- using von Frey hair filaments, measured gait pattern with the CatWalk system, assessed anxiety- and depression-like behavior with the Elevated plus maze and tail suspension test, measured corticosterone metabolite levels in feces and utilized an integrative approach for relative-severity-assessment. Mechanical sensitivity differed between the cage systems and experimenter familiarization and was affected in both sham and SNI mice. Experimenter familiarization and an inverted day-night cycle reduced mechanical hypersensitivity in SNI and sham mice. SNI mice of the inverted day-night group displayed the slightest pronounced alterations in gait pattern in the Catwalk test. Anxiety-related behavior was only found in SNI mice of experimenter-familiarized mice compared to the sham controls. In addition, familiarization reduced the stress level measured by fecal corticosteroid metabolites caused by the pain and the behavioral tests. Although no environmental condition significantly modulated the severity in SNI mice, it influenced pain-affected phenotypes and is, therefore, crucial for designing and interpreting preclinical pain studies. Moreover, environmental conditions should be considered more in the reporting guidelines, described in more detail, and discussed as a potential influence on pain phenotypes.
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