A method for intracerebroventricular cannulation of young broiler chicks

The site-specific administration of neuroactive substances or pharmacological agents is a routine practice in neurological studies. To facilitate chronic treatments intercranial cannulae are often implanted in the skull. These surgical procedures are widely described and well-documented for rodents, as the most common animal model, and even refined over the years. However, precise descriptions of proper procedure for third ventricle cannulation in young broiler chicks is not readily available. This absence is surprising, as chicken models are often used in the investigation of physiological control of the metabolism and ingestion. Furthermore, as a commercial animal, there is also a particular interest in elucidating the central regulation of feed intake and metabolism to optimize feeding and living conditions for broilers. The brain nuclei that serve as the regulatory centers of feeding and metabolism are the arcuate nucleus, the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, and the lateral hypothalamus, which are all located near the third ventricle. Here, we provide a full protocol for intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) cannulation of 7-day old broiler chicks, as well as a review of some of the advances made in rodent i.c.v. cannulations and whether these advances are applicable to cannulations in chickens. Using the surgical procedure described here, we were able to achieve a success rate of proper implantation of 88%, with a mortality rate of less than 1% (n = 224).•Detailed procedure for i.c.v. canula implantation in the third ventricle of 7d-old broiler chicks.•Cement cap with anchoring screws is necessary in broilers, glue does not provide sufficient stability.•Carboxylate cement and self-adhesive resin cement were tested as an alternative for methyl methacrylate cement.