Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats as an experimental model of brain ischemia

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess a rat model of cerebral ischemia induced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and its effect on the area of cerebral infarction. METHODS: Brain ischemia was induced in 52 male Wistar rats by introduction of a 3-0 nylon suture into the middle cerebral artery for either 90 (n=28) or 120 (n=24) minutes. Ischemic injury volume was determined by TTC staining, digital photography and analysis with the Image J software. Statistical analysis employed Student’s t test and the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: The groups were similar in terms of weight (p=0.59). The length of thread inserted was 14.7 mm in the 90 min group and 20.2 mm in the 120 min group (p=0.37). Ischemic injury was detected in 11 animals (39%) after 90 min and 11 (45%) after 120 min (p=0.77). In animals exhibiting injury, filament length was 16.1±11 mm (90 min) vs. 21.9±7.4 mm (120 min) (p=0.15). The mean infarction zone volume was greater after 120 (259.2 mm³) than after 90 min (162.9 mm³) (p=0.04). The neurological deficit score for the 90 and 120 min groups was 2.0 and 2.4, respectively (p=0.84). CONCLUSION: The experimental model induced significant ischemic cerebral injury in both groups.

Transient filament occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats: does the reperfusion method matter 24 hours after perfusion?

“…Infarct size is positively correlated with the duration of transient ischemia [4,26]. As we expected BICAR to result in faster and more widespread increases in blood flow, this should have resulted in smaller infarct size, which did not occur.…”

“…However, no such differences were found. These similarities were unexpected as changes in variables such as age [3] and strain [2] of the animal, filament type [5], and ischemia duration [4,26] result in different outcomes in the effects of MCAO, so it was thought that major differences in reperfusion technique would also result in differences in both histological and functional neurological outcomes.…”

Changes in Brain Electrical Activity after Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Rats

“…The incision ends were then sutured, and the surrounding area was disinfected with iodine solution. Cerebral ischemia was inducted using the previously described intraluminal transient MCAO model [ 14 ]. The blood flow was blocked for 30 or 45 min (in groups IS 30 and IS 45, respectively); then the occluding filament was retracted, restoring blood supply in the MCA territory.…”

Intermittent fasting is neuroprotective in focal cerebral ischemia by minimizing autophagic flux disturbance and inhibiting apoptosis

“…MCAO/R. Rats were subjected to MCAO/R as described in previous studies (11,12). Briefly, rats were anesthetized via intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg/kg zoletil (Virbac, Seoul, Korea).…”