A tail-artery cannulation method for the study of blood parameters in freely moving rats.

The aim of this study was to improve the chronic tail-artery cannulation technique for repeated substance administration and blood sampling under stress-free conditions in freely moving rats. For that purpose, a special metal capsula and spring-tube system were developed, which not only protects the inserted cannula but also provides a less injurious insertion procedure and improves the animals' welfare as illustrated by normal cleaning and feeding behavior. Intraarterial application of test substances and repeated blood sampling can be done under minimal stress conditions as shown by unaltered plasma levels of highly stress-sensitive prolactin and the catecholamines (CA), epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA), after infusion of 300 microL saline.