Canl 425v

Following the 3 month housing period, twelve of the sixteen rats (n=6 per group) received
ketamine (80 mg/kg IP; Ketalean Bimeda-MTC, Cambridge, Canada) and xylazine (10 mg/kg IP;
Xylamax, Bimeda-MTC, Cambridge, Canada), which represents a standard anesthesia cocktail
commonly used in laboratory rats [13 (link)]. Following
the intraperitoneal (IP) ketamine-xylazine (KX) injection, different reflexes and
physiological parameters were monitored at chosen time points (5, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min).
The withdrawal reflex (WR) was evaluated by pressing the interdigital skin of a hind paw
with hemostatic forceps and the palpebral reflex (PR) was evaluated by softly pressing a
cotton-tip on outer corner of the eyes. Reflexes were evaluated by the same experimenter.
A rodent-specific oximeter (CANL-425V, Med Associates, St-Alban, VT, USA) was used to
monitor cardiac frequency and blood oxygen saturation (SaO₂) by taping the
probe on the right hind paw, as previously described [13 (link)]. Respiratory frequency was taken over 15 sec by direct visual observation
and rectal temperature was taken with a rectal probe (Thermalert TH-8, Physitemp, Clifton,
NJ, USA). The duration of anesthesia was evaluated as the time until the animal became
sternal on its own following the KX injection.

Following the KX injection, different parameters were evaluated at selected time points
(5, 15, 30 and 45 min, 1 h, and every half hour thereafter) until a
paw withdrawal reflex was observed. Rectal temperature was monitored (Thermalert TH-8,
Physitemp, Clifton, NJ, USA) and a small animal oximeter (CANL-425V, Med Associates, St.
Alban, VT, USA) was used for monitoring cardiac frequency and blood oxygen saturation by
taping the sensor to the right hind paw. Respiratory frequency was monitored by direct
observation (over 1 min). The corneal reflex (always evaluated by MCG) was
evaluated by gently pressing on the cornea with a cotton tip covered with a non-medicated
ophthalmic gel.
The anesthesia duration was evaluated as the period from loss to recovery of the paw
withdrawal reflex (always evaluated by MCG), which was evaluated by pressing interdigital
hind paw skin with hemostatic forceps in a manner that would not cause tissue damage. The
recovery time was measured as the time until the first voluntary movement following the KX
injection.

Following the intraperitoneal KX injection, different parameters were monitored at chosen
time points (5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min). The corneal reflex was evaluated by
softly pressing on the cornea with a cotton tip, and the withdrawal reflex was assessed by
pressing the interdigital hind paw skin with hemostatic forceps. A small animal oximeter
(CANL-425V, Med Associates, St-Alban, VT, USA) was used to monitor cardiac frequency and
blood oxygen saturation (SaO₂) by taping the probe onto the right hind paw.
Respiratory frequency was taken over 1 min by direct observation, and rectal temperature
(Thermalert TH-8, Physitemp, Clifton, NJ, USA) was taken with a rectal probe. The recovery
time was the time at which the first voluntary movement occurred following KX
injection.