Stereotactic Surgery In Rats

Animal models represent the final step to complete preclinical investigations. Here, we describe in detail the principles and procedures for the surgical, toxin-induced animal models for Parkinson's disease (PD), and Huntington's disease (HD). Using highly precise stereotactic intracerebral injections of toxins into the nigrostriatal pathway and basal ganglia, we are able to target specific neural circuits in different regions of the dopaminergic and GABAergic system. In addition, validated protocols for adult and neonatal cell transplantation to reconstruct the destructed neuronal circuits as models for neural repair are described.