Dear Histonet,

I am a fourth year medical student working in a model for intra-arterial
drug delivery in rat. In my system, I can get a microcatheter into the
anterior cerebral artery (ACA). I would like to deliver a dye only to
parenchyma supplied by the ACA such that, on post-mortem, the ACA
distribution will be stained. I tried methylene blue and although it
stained the vessel itself, it did not stain the brain, presumably because
it could not pass out of the bloodstream owing to brain microvascular tight
junctions.

Does anyone have suggestions about a dye I may use that will pass into
brain parenchyma? If so, will I be able to perfuse the animal with 4%
paraformaldehyde prior to removing the brain?

Thanks for allowing me to be a part of histonet.

Sincerely,
Walt Zink
University of Nebraska