Small Animal Procedures Facilities at the Zablocki VA Medical Center

The Small Animal Procedures Facilities support ongoing research in spinal cord injury and central nervous system function and dysfunction. Related facilities include a surgical suite for stereotaxic procedures, including an operating microscope used to create precise and consistent spinal cord injuries that mimic human spinal cord injury, as well as Infinite Horizons and Leica Impact One Stereotaxic impactors. In addition, the facilities house a robotic stereotaxic system for microinjections. This system provides motorized, computer controlled positioning with atlas integration and intuitive movement control, enabling high accuracy, high-throughput electrophysiology and stereotaxic injections. Viral injections may be accomplished through use of a Picospritzer, an intracellular microinjection dispense system. Also available is a Bruker Biospec 9.4T small animal MRI for high-resolution, non-invasive, in vivo imaging of structural and perfusion sequelae of spinal cord injury, as well as Buxco Small Animal Whole Body Plethysmography chambers, which allow for monitoring of respiratory function—including tidal volume, minute volume, inspiratory time, expiratory time, peak inspiratory flow and frequency.