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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Survivable Stereotaxic Surgery in Rodents
Published on: October 6, 2008
[Economical body platform for neonatal rats stereotaxic surgery]
A Sierra1, I Camacho-Abrego, C Escamilla
1Instituto de Fisiologia, Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico.
Introduction:
Usually, most commercial platforms that adapt to the stereotaxic apparatus in neonatal rats or small animals, to carry out surgery are very expensive. Moreover, the operator must have certain experience in its handling.
Development:
The present work presents two platforms, one of them made in acrylic and the other of expanded polystyrene. These adapt perfectly to conventional stereotaxic apparatus, while operator does not require a great entrainment to carry out the surgical procedure. Histological slides of the prefrontal cortex, ventral hippocampus and basolateral amygdala from adult rats (postnatal day 70), staining with cresyl violet are shown. The neonatal lesions were made at postnatal day 7 with ibotenic acid applied in the prefrontal cortex, ventral hippocampus or basolateral amygdala.
Conclusions:
The present data suggest that it is possible to carry out lesions or to apply drugs in neonatal rats, by using an acrylic or expanded polystyrene adaptor for the stereotaxic apparatus. These have the advantage of being economic and having a simple design. Also, the type of anesthesia used in neonatal lesion rats, is discussed.
