The Experimental Neurology Unit – which is a functional compartment with the pathogen-free Animal House – is fully equipped for the experimental models of Cerebral Ischemia (Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion model, MCAO), in vivo stereotactic applications in the rodents brains (rats and mice), various in vivo experimental procedures in rodents (blood collection, Cerebrospinal Fluid collection, as well as any surgical procedure needed to be performed in rodents) and the humanely sacrifice of the animals for tissue collection (either for Pathology or molecular techniques).
The Unit is equipped with:
1) Stereotactic surgical microscope 10x, 16x and 25x.
2) Harvard Apparatus small animal Ventilator (model 683, volume controlled single animal).
3) Stereotaxic instrument equipped with adaptors for rats and mice (Empirikion Foundation Grant).
4) Continuous infusion fluid pump.
5) UV lamp.
6) Hamilton microsyringes for stereotaxic fluid infusion in the CNS of rodents.
7) Sets of surgical and micro-surgical instruments.
8) Restrain devices for rodents (rats and mice).
9) Animal guillotine.
10) Heart monitor for rats.
11) Animal haircut device (cleaning of the surgical field).
12) Astec – Monair filtered air hood (used during the sacrifice of the animals with PFH transcardial perfusion).
13) Electronic digital scale (0-2000gr) for body weighting.
14) Surgical electrocautery device.
15) Electronic thermometer.
16) Anesthesia machine for small animals (rats and rodents) with Halothane vaporizer (Matrx tabletop VMC Quantiflex with VIP-3000 Halothane vaporizateur) and anesthesia circuit with 1lt pressure-reducer bag.
17) Freezer (-20 0C) for tissue and fluid storage.
18) Electrical surgical instruments sterilizer (Keller, steri 250).
19) Olympus stereoscope (Olympus, SZX 9).
20) Oxygen (Ο2) gas tube with pressure regulator.
21) Nitrogen (N2O) gas tube with pressure regulator.
22) Laser Doppler Flowmetry device and probe (Bodosakis Foundation grant).
23) Non-Invasive Blood pressure (NIBP) analysis system for rats (Bodosakis Foundation grant).