Assessment of chronic sympathetic nerve recording using Data Sciences International telemetry

Abstract

The ability to assess sympathetic nervous system function in conscious animals has been hampered by the inability to chronically record sympathetic nerve activity (SNA). The present study tested the newly developed F50‐W‐F2 transmitter from Data Sciences. Male Sprague‐Dawley rats (300–400 g) were implanted with a PA‐C40 transmitter to measure arterial blood pressure, and a F50‐W‐F2 transmitter to record lumbar SNA. After 5 day recovery, >70% of animals had stable SNA recordings characterized by pulse‐synchronous bursts. Animals with viable SNA at Day 6 continued to remain viable for several weeks (average 34±6 days) including signals that persisted in 2 animals for 80+ days. To test the responsiveness of the transmitters, animals were water deprived for 48 hours. Water deprivation significantly increased mean arterial blood pressure (12±2 mmHg), rectified SNA (41±6%), and lumbar burst frequency (4±1 Hz). When water was provided, values returned to baseline levels within 24 hours. In subsequent weeks, the magnitude of the responses was reproducible. These findings suggest that the F50‐W‐F2 radiotransmitter for SNA is reliable and easy to integrate into existing platforms. The implantation success rate and long‐term viability suggest these transmitters may provide a distinct advantage over conventional approaches to study sympathetic function.