Chronic ventricular cerebrospinal fluid sampling, drug injections, and pressure monitoring using subcutaneous reservoirs in monkeys.

Animal models enabling reliable access to ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are crucial to the study of neuropharmacological and neurotoxicological effects of cytotoxic agents used to treat central nervous system neoplasms. This investigation concludes that 4th ventricular catheterization using subcutaneous CSF reservoirs in rhesus monkeys: (a) provides chronic access to sterile CSF without chronic immobilization, (b) enables mixing of injected drugs with lateral ventricular CSF, (c) permits sensitive monitoring of intraventricular pressure and (d) does not produce tissue damage during cannula implantation or breakdown of the blood-brain barrier.