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Neonatal prefrontal cortex lesion using CO2 laser technique
Laura Sánchez-Huerta1, Griselda Ayala, Javier Marroquín
1Instituto de Fisiología, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, 14 Sur 6301, Puebla CP 72570, Mexico.
Abstract:
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a large area of the brain and its neonatal lesion with ibotenic or kainic acid is used to study the early abnormalities in neurodevelopment that lead to behavioral changes linked to schizophrenia. However, these exitotoxic drugs produce a large and asymmetric damage in the PFC. We produced the bilateral lesions of the dorsal part of the PFC of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats (postnatal day 7, P7) at the anteroposterior +2.5 mm and mediolateral +/-0.4 coordinates by the new laser technique that employ the confined radiation of the CO(2) laser in the pulsed mode. The laser was used because its coherent radiation can be focused in a very small spot and as small as of several tens of micrometers in diameters. The CO(2) laser radiation is strongly absorbed by water that is present in any soft tissue. Thereafter, the configuration of the heated zone and, consequently, that of the lesion does not depend on the morphological non-homogeneity of particular structures. We obtained the symmetric, conical in shape and small-size bilateral lesions of the PFC. The size of the lesion depended on the beam spot-size and could be as small as several dozens of micrometers in diameter. Our data suggests that the laser technique will be used for the anatomical-functional studies of the PFC in the brain.
Insights
A novel laser technique creates precise, symmetric neonatal lesions in the rat prefrontal cortex (PFC). This method offers improved accuracy for studying neurodevelopmental disorders like schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Surgical Techniques
Background:
- Neonatal lesions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) model neurodevelopmental abnormalities linked to schizophrenia.
- Existing excitotoxic drug methods cause large, asymmetric PFC damage.
- A need exists for precise lesioning techniques in developmental studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, precise laser-based technique for creating bilateral neonatal PFC lesions.
- To overcome the limitations of asymmetry and size associated with traditional lesioning methods.
- To enable more accurate anatomical-functional studies of the PFC.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a CO(2) laser in pulsed mode for precise tissue ablation.
- Targeted dorsal PFC in Sprague-Dawley rats at postnatal day 7.
- Achieved bilateral lesions at specific coordinates (+2.5 mm AP, +/-0.4 mm ML).
Main Results:
- Generated symmetric, conical, and small-size bilateral lesions in the PFC.
- Lesion size was controllable, down to tens of micrometers in diameter.
- The technique's reliance on water absorption ensures consistent lesion shape regardless of tissue structure.
Conclusions:
- The CO(2) laser technique provides a highly accurate and reproducible method for creating neonatal PFC lesions.
- This laser-based approach offers significant advantages over excitotoxic drugs for modeling neurodevelopmental disorders.
- The technique holds promise for future anatomical-functional research on the PFC.