Description

Rat Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) is a clear physiological fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, acting as a crucial mechanical cushion and playing a vital role in the clearance of metabolic waste from the central nervous system. Our standard rat CSF is supplied as a mixed-gender, pooled matrix collected exclusively from healthy, Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) animals. In preclinical research, rat CSF is an essential biological matrix for neurobiology studies, biomarker quantification, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) assessments. By pooling samples from multiple genetically and environmentally matched animals, we not only provide highly consistent, large-volume commercial aliquots but also establish a stable, generalized biological baseline for reliable experimental data.

For custom collections tailored to a specific gender, age, strain, or disease model, please contact us.

Features

SPF Grade Sourcing: Animals are sourced exclusively from highly controlled, Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) breeding colonies to ensure health status and sample reliability.

Specialized Collection: Extracted via cisterna magna puncture by skilled technicians to minimize tissue damage compared to other extraction methods.

Pooled for Consistency: Standard lots are pooled from strictly age-matched, mixed-gender animals to minimize individual biological variance.

Preserved Integrity: Snap-frozen immediately post-collection to preserve native protein profiles and enzymatic activity.

Colorless & Clear Matrix: Each sample is carefully evaluated macroscopically during collection to maintain a pure, colorless appearance and exclude samples with visibly evident RBC contamination.

Strains & Specifications

All rat CSF products are supplied as pooled samples (Mixed Gender) and are available in bulk 1 mL and 2 mL aliquots, ideal for high-throughput screening and long-term studies.

Sprague-Dawley (SD): A widely used outbred multipurpose model, ideal for general toxicology, behavioral studies, and CNS drug discovery profiling.

Storage

Store strictly at -80°C upon receipt.

Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. If the entire vial will not be used in a single experiment, we strongly recommend aliquoting the fluid into smaller working volumes immediately after the first thaw.

Shipping

Ships globally on Dry Ice to guarantee sample integrity during transit.

FAQ

Q: Why do you sell pooled rat CSF instead of individual samples?
While a single adult rat yields approximately 100–150 µL of CSF, pooling samples from a large group of matched animals provides practical bulk commercial volumes (1 mL to 5 mL). This large-scale pooling helps establish a stable biological baseline that minimizes individual physiological variance, ensuring unparalleled matrix consistency across your sensitive downstream assays.

Q: How do you check for blood contamination in the CSF?
We rely on stringent macroscopic visual inspection. During the extraction process, our technicians carefully examine each sample against a pure white background. Any sample showing a visible pink tint—indicating obvious RBC contamination—is discarded and not included in the final pool.

Q: What specific customizations do you offer for rat CSF collections?
A: We provide comprehensive customization options tailored to your precise experimental design. You can specify exact age requirements (defined by weeks or months), single-gender groups (strictly all-male or all-female), alternative strains (such as Wistar), or customized dietary interventions.

Q: Can you provide CSF from specific disease models?
A: Yes. We can accommodate custom collections from validated disease models. Please note that due to the complex breeding cycles, extended maintenance, and lower availability of these cohorts, disease model CSF is priced at a premium compared to wild-type strains. Please contact our technical team in advance to discuss timelines and receive a custom quote.

Q: Do you support CSF extraction from individual animals, or are all products pooled?
A: While our standard catalog products are pooled to ensure a stable baseline and provide large commercial volumes, we readily offer individual animal extractions (non-pooled, single-animal aliquots) as a custom service. A single adult rat typically yields 100–150 µL of CSF. Please keep in mind that demanding maximum extraction volumes per animal significantly increases the risk of microscopic blood contamination. As a result, the rigorous quality control and higher material attrition rate directly increase the overall cost, making individual collections more expensive than our standard pooled lots.

Sprague-Dawley (SD) Rat Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) – Pooled Matrix