Variable response of the Mongolian gerbil to unilateral carotid occlusion: Magnetic resonance imaging and neuropathological characterization

Abstract

In the present investigation, we estimated both the evolution and the severity of ischemic damage following unilateral carotid occlusion (UCO) in Mongolian gerbils by using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, i.e. T2 weighted imaging) and histological techniques. Immediately after UCO, the animals showed different clinical effects. The mortality (46%) detected within the first 48h was considered an "stroke-sensitivity", the "stroke-resistant" animals showed wide variability in terms of both temporal evolution and the extent of ischemic damage. The signal hyperintensity and negative MRI observed during the first 30h after UCO did not always correlate with the cerebral damage presented after 14 days, although a close correlation was established between the T2 weighted images taken more than 30h after UCO and neuropathology: the gerbils negative to imaging showed no morphological changes, whereas an enhanced signal was always prognostic of ischemic injury. Moreover, late MRI documented ventricular dilatation. Histopathology showed that the ischemic damage differed among the stroke-resistant gerbils and was often bilateral. The present study confirms the differences in gerbil susceptibility to hemispheric infarction after permanent UCO and suggests that conventional MRI may be a useful non-invasive method for i) identifying the stroke-resistant animals prone to mature ischemic injury and ii) monitoring the evolution of therapeutic efficacy without sacrificing animals.

De novo sequencing and initial annotation of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) genome

“…Studies in gerbils have identified abnormal GABAergic dependent synaptic transmission as an important underlying mechanism of seizures [41][42][43]. Investigations using gerbils as a stroke model have shown that "stroke-prone" and "stroke-resistant" gerbils are associated with the conditions of posterior communicating arteries in the circle of Willis [44][45][46][47][48]. In addition, the gerbil has been commonly used for studying a number of parasitic, viral and bacterial diseases [reviewed in 2].…”

Dose Effect Evaluation and Therapeutic Window of the Neuro-EPO Nasal Application for the Treatment of the Focal Ischemia Model in the Mongolian Gerbil

“…The mortality in this model reflects the severity of the injury, and it is an important variable in assessing drugs for the treatment of ischemia. In this model, mortality rates between 30 and 40% at 24 and 48 hours after ischemia have been reported [41, 42]. This allows us to suggest that these animals have a cognitive dysfunction induced by ischemia, which affected their learning and short-term memory [43].…”

Effect Of Nonionic Surfactants And HPMC F4M On The Development Of Formulations Of Neuro-EPO As A Neuroprotective Agent

“…This phenomenon can be caused by the interaction of polymer with one or more ingredients of the artery has been used for studying the physiopathology of the brain ischemia and for the evaluation of putative neuroprotective agents. In this model, a mortality rate from 25 to 50% has been reported [44,45].…”