Continuous Arterial Pressure Monitoring in Conscious Rodents Using Implantable Telemetry and Comparison with the Tail-Cuff Method

Radio telemetry enables reliable, continuous arterial blood pressure (BP) monitoring in conscious rodents under physiological conditions, while minimizing operator-related artifacts. The implantable transmitter includes a pressure-sensing catheter, and the implantation procedure varies depending on the species used and the purpose of the study. In rodents, the most common approaches are implantation through the carotid artery or the abdominal aorta. The carotid artery approach is often favored for its direct path to the aortic arch, facilitating accurate central pressure measurement, while the abdominal aorta approach is also widely utilized for chronic studies. Compared with non-invasive methods such as tail-cuff, implantable telemetry provides more accurate and consistent measurements, making it especially useful for hypertension studies that require precise long-term BP monitoring. This protocol details anesthesia, surgical implantation techniques, and postoperative care, as well as procedures for acquiring and analyzing hemodynamic parameters-systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure and heart rate (HR)-together with a comparative evaluation against tail-cuff measurements.