Abstract:

Objective To establish a modified middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) model in the rabbit through a novel hollow filament based on the intraluminal suture method, to provide a new modal for studying the cerebrovascular disease. Methods The rabbit was anesthetized and fixed and the distal common carotid artery(CCA), internal carotid artery(ICA), and external carotid artery(ECA) of the rabbit were exposed. A modified PE-50 catheter(a novel hollow filament) had been introduced into the ICA through the incision of ECA and the filament was lodged in the narrow proximal anterior cerebral artery(ACA) and blocked the MCA at its origin. The neurological functional scores were evaluated at 24 h after the operation. Then the rabbits were sacrificed and 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining was used to determine the infarct volume. Results The pH values, PO₂, PCO₂, mean arterial blood pressure(MABP), and glucose were not affected by the operation. The cerebral blood flow(CBF) decreased by 45.8%±16.2 after ischemia. The neurological functional scores varied in each rabbit. The percentage of the infarct volume was 9.43%±5.37%. The rate of success was 54.3% for the model. Most rabbits died of the subarachnoid hemorrhage. Conclusion The model can be used for the study of cerebral ischemia by monitoring the cerebral blood flow and careful operation although the ratio of success was not very high.

Key words: rabbit, cerebral ischemia, model