New method for the collection of cerebrospinal fluid from the cisterna magna of conscious dogs

Abstract

We have developed a catheter system than can be implanted chronically into the cisterna magna of the dog to obtain serial samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for up to 8 wk. A direct access to the CSF of the cisterna magna provided an opportunity to determine also base-line values of CSF sodium, potassium, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and angiotensin II immunoreactivity and compare relative differences in the concentration of these variables between the central and peripheral compartments.