Intracerebral infusion of neurotrophic factors.

Neurotrophic factors are among the most potent neuroprotective and neuroregenerative agents known. However, they cross the adult mammalian blood-brain barrier very poorly and can have serious peripheral side effects. These problems can be solved by using chronic infusions with small pumps to directly deliver known quantities of these proteins into selected regions of the brains of small experimental animals such as rats and mice. The method consists of commercially available Alzet osmotic pumps that are placed under the skin and are connected to commercially available metal infusion cannulas whose tip can be stereotactically placed in virtually any location of the brain. Different models of pumps that fit comfortably in rodents can be selected for infusion between 1 and 28 days and at infusion rates ranging between 8 and 0.25 microL/h, respectively. Methodological details are provided for the successful use of proteins and to minimize the time of the surgery.