Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 40
Cranial Window Assessments in Experimental aSAH in Mice
Ulf C. Schneider , Etienne N. Atangana , and Peter Vajkoczy
Abstract
The chronic cranial window model offers the possibility of a direct in vivo assessment of the cortical surface
and pial vasculature in multiple physiological and pathological CNS states. Within the last years, attention
has been paid to infl ammatory and microvascular changes after acute subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH).
In combination with different assessment and recording methods, the chronic cranial window is a powerful
tool to study a variety of functional and structural values in vivo with a high temporal and spatial resolution.
This chapter comprises details about the technical procedure and standard as well as alternative assessment
modalities, which can be used in combination with the chronic cranial window model for in vivo analyses.
Key words: Cranial window, Subarachnoid haemorrhage, Functional assessment mouse, Intravital
microscopy
1. Introduction
Animal models of intravital imaging comprise a variety of invasive
procedures and have widely been used to assess changes in the micro-
vascular architecture. The possibility of visualization of leukocyte traf-
fi cking, rolling, sticking, and transmigration in the observed blood
vessels can give further information about the infl ammatory status of
the according organ. Superfusion of the respective “windows” with
different fl uids can also rate their vasoconstrictive or infl ammatory
potential. Implantation of different tissues can give insight of their
vascular characteristics. The best-known chronic vascular observation
model is the dorsal skinfold chamber. This model was well character-
ized by Messmer and co-workers and is widely used ( 1-7 ).
The chronic cranial window was introduced by Levasseur and
co-workers in 1975 in cats and has become a useful tool for the
observation and documentation of pathological changes of the
cortical surface and vasculature in a variety of diseases of the central
nervous system ( 8, 9 ).
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