Just prior to imaging, rats were anesthetized with 2 to 3% isoflurane and received an s.c. injection of the analgesic Metacam (meloxicam, 5 mg/mL solution) at a dose of 1 mg/kg. The scalp was incised and a burr hole was made in the skull for implantation of sterile PE10 tubing (Braintree Scientific) aimed at the right lateral cerebroventricle using the stereotaxic coordinates 1.0 mm posterior to the bregma, 2.0 mm lateral to the midline, and 4.0 mm in depth from dura. The tubing, ca 60 cm in length and prefilled with gadobenate dimeglumine (MultiHance) 1.06-kDa contrast agent (CA) diluted 1:20, was fixed in place with cyanoacrylic cement and connected to a 0.3-mL syringe needle filled with the contrast agent that could be positioned just outside the bore of the magnet. This injection method has been used in previous studies to deliver drugs directly to the brain during awake imaging (22 (link), 23 (link)). The surgery on rats maintained on the reversed light–dark cycle was performed under red-light illumination.
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