Models and Methods

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The models include:

  • Cell culture (rat, mouse) of cerebral capillary endothelial cells; astrocytes; microglia neurons (cortical, hippocampal, septal, cerebellar granule cells etc.); cell lines (HT22, PC12, SY5Y etc.)
  • Organotypic long-term cultures of adult retina
  • In vitro cerebral ischemia models: oxygen glucose deprivation (Concept 400 anoxic chamber); chemical hypoxia (3 NPA, CN-, deoxyglucose); brain slices (acute and culture)
  • In vivo cerebral ischemia models: thread (filament) model of focal cerebral ischemia (mouse, rat); distal MCAO model ('Brint' model, rat); thromobotic MCAO model (mouse, rat); global cerebral ischemia (rat)
  • Inflammation models in vivo: pneumococcal meningitis (rat, mouse)
  • Isolated cerebral artery preparation
  • Cranial window preparation
  • Functional brain activation: whisker deflection; electrical forepaw stimulation; spreading depression
  • Bone marrow chimeras (mouse)

The method spectrum includes:

  • Biochemical techniques: HPLC (Shimadzu, Millipore, electrochemical and fluorescence detection); chemiluminescence (Berthold); NO analyzer (Sievers-NOA-B); Western blotting
  • Optical techniques: confocal microscopy (Biorad MRC 600 and Leica Multiphoton with Spectraphysics Tsunami Ti/Sa Laser); laser Doppler flow monitors (1 to 5 channels, Perimed (4x), TSI Vasamedics (2x)); Laser Doppler Speckle Imager; Near infrared spectroscopy (OI Imager 2000 and custom built imaging spectroscope and fiber spectroscopes); Low level chemiluminescence in vivo (Hamamatsu); Optical molecular imaging with near infrared tomography / topography
  • MR (7T Bruker Pharmascan): T1/2/2*; DWI; PWI
  • Electrophysiological techniques: AC and DC amplifiers for extra- and intracellular recording (WPI); stimulators (WPI); EEG and SEP recorder (Nihon Koden)
  • Molecular techniques: Northern blotting and conventional qRT-PCR; Roche Light Cycler, gene transfection
  • Sequencing (2x Pharmacia Alf); Phosphor imager (Pharmacia Typhoon); phage Display
  • Oligonucleotide strategies; Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE), Gene chip technologies; PCR Select
  • Histology (staining and tracing, volumetry); cryotomes; microtomes; histochemistry; histoblot
  • Immune histology
  • Behavioral and somatosensory/motor outcome assessment (Morris Maze, Rota Rod, etc.)
  • Flow Cytometry

Fully equipped animal transgenic animal facility