A Modified Model Preparation for Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Reperfusion

Summary

This protocol describes the process of preparing for middle cerebral artery occlusion reperfusion via the common carotid artery.

Abstract

The middle cerebral artery occlusion reperfusion (MCAO/R) model is crucial for understanding the pathological mechanisms of stroke and for drug development.However, among the commonly used modeling methods, the Koizumi method often faces scrutiny due to its ligation of the common carotid artery (CCA) and its inability to achieve adequate reperfusion. Similarly, the Longa method has been criticized for disconnecting and ligating the external carotid artery (ECA). This study aims to introduce a modified model preparation method that preserves the integrity of the ECA, involves inserting a monofilament nylon suture through the CCA, repairing the ligated CCA incision, and maintaining reperfusion from the CCA. Reperfusion of blood flow was confirmed using laser speckle flow imaging. Evaluation methods such as the Longa scale, Modified Neurological Severity Score, triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, and immunofluorescence labeling of neurons demonstrated that this approach could induce stable ischemic nerve damage. This modified MCAO/R model protocol is simple and stable, providing valuable guidance for practitioners in the field of cerebral ischemia.

Introduction

According to the World Health Organization, stroke has remained the second leading cause of death worldwide for the past decade, with a high incidence rate, high mortality, and high disability rate^1,2. As the global population ages, the incidence of stroke is expected to increase in developing countries, potentially becoming the leading cause of premature death and disability in adults. Additionally, there is a trend for strokes to occur at a younger age³. The loss of the labor force after a stroke also places a heavy burden on families and society⁴. Therefore, t....

Protocol

The experimental protocol was conducted in compliance with the Use of Laboratory Animals and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee guidelines at Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Record number: 2019-DL-002). All animal research data have been documented following the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting In Vivo Experiments) guidelines. Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats weighing 250 g ± 20 g and aged 6-8 weeks were utilized for this study. The specifics regarding the animals, reagents, and .......

Discussion

The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model induced by a monofilament nylon suture is the most common method used for preparing MCAO models. This approach is widely adopted in preclinical studies and has gained recognition from many practitioners due to its simplicity, lack of need for craniotomy, minimal surgical trauma, and ability to achieve reperfusion.

There are two classical surgical techniques for intraluminal filament MCAO: the Koizumi method⁸ and the Long.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Animal anesthesia system	Rayward Life Technology Co., Ltd	R500IE
Animal temperature maintainer	Rayward Life Technology Co., Ltd	69020
Cy3 secondary antibody	Wuhan Saiweier Biotechnology Co., Ltd	GB21303
DAP1 antibody	Wuhan Saiweier Biotechnology Co., Ltd	G1012
DCX antibody	Wuhan Saiweier Biotechnology Co., Ltd	GB13434
Goat serum	Beyotime Biotechnology Co., LTD	C0265
GraphPad Prism	GraphPad Software	GraphPad Prism 8.0
ImageJ	National Institutes of Health	ImageJ software
Isofluran	Rayward Life Technology Co., Ltd	R510-22
Laser speckle blood flow imaging system	Rayward Life Technology Co., Ltd	PeriCam PSI NR
MAP-2 antibody	Wuhan Saiweier Biotechnology Co., Ltd	GB11128
Miniature hand-held skull drill	Rayward Life Technology Co., Ltd	87001
monofilament suture	Rayward Life Technology Co., Ltd	250-280g
NeuN antibody	Wuhan Saiweier Biotechnology Co., Ltd	GB11138
OCT embedding agent	BIOSHARP	BL557A
Penicillin sodium	Chengdu Kelong Chemical Co., Ltd.	17121709-2
Quick Antigen Retrieval Solution for Frozen Sections	Beyotime Biotechnology Co., LTD	P0090
SD rats	SPF ( Beijing ) Biotechnology Co.,Ltd.	250-280g
Triton X-100	Beyotime Biotechnology Co., LTD	ST795
TTC	Chengdu Kelong Chemical Co., Ltd.	2019030101