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Intracranial pressure in the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis): reptilian meninges and orthostatic gradients

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Abstract

The cranial meninges of reptiles differ from the more widely studied mammalian pattern in that the intraventricular and subarachnoid spaces are, at least partially, isolated. This study was undertaken to investigate the bulk flow of cerebrospinal fluid, and the resulting changes in intracranial pressure, in a common reptilian species. Intracranial pressure was measured using ocular ultrasonography and by surgically implanting pressure cannulae into the cranial subarachnoid space. The system was then challenged by: rotating the animal to create orthostatic gradients, perturbation of the vascular system, administration of epinephrine, and cephalic cutaneous heating. Pressure changes determined from the implanted catheters and through quantification of the optic nerve sheath were highly correlated and showed a significant linear relationship with orthostatic gradients. The catheter pressure responses were phasic, with an initial rapid response followed by a much slower response; each phase accounted for roughly half of the total pressure change. No significant relationship was found between intracranial pressure and either heart rate or blood flow. The focal application of heat and the administration of epinephrine both increased intracranial pressure, the latter influence being particularly pronounced.

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Abbreviations

CSF:

Cerebrospinal fluid

EKG:

Electrocardiogram

ICP:

Intracranial pressure

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Ruth Elsey of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Dr. Peter Kondrashov for his continued support of this research program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Preventive Medicine, and Community Health, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, A.T. Still University, Kirksville, MO, USA

    Tatyana Kondrashova

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Northeast Regional Medical Center, Kirksville, MO, USA

    Joshua Blanchard

  3. Department of Anatomy, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, A.T. Still University, Kirksville, MO, USA

    Lucas Knoche & Bruce A. Young

  4. Department of Surgery, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, A.T. Still University, Kirksville, MO, USA

    James Potter

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  1. Tatyana Kondrashova
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  2. Joshua Blanchard
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  5. Bruce A. Young
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Correspondence to Bruce A. Young.

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Ethical approval

The husbandry and use of the live alligators followed all applicable federal guidelines, and was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of A.T. Still University (Protocols #208 and #209).

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Kondrashova, T., Blanchard, J., Knoche, L. et al. Intracranial pressure in the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis): reptilian meninges and orthostatic gradients. J Comp Physiol A 206, 45–54 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-019-01386-6

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