Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2011:2011:464701.
doi: 10.1155/2011/464701. Epub 2011 Jan 23.

Middle cerebral artery occlusion model in rodents: methods and potential pitfalls

Fudong Liu  1 , Louise D McCullough
Affiliations
Review

Middle cerebral artery occlusion model in rodents: methods and potential pitfalls

Fudong Liu et al. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2011.

Abstract

A variety of animal models have been developed for modeling ischemic stroke. The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model has been utilized extensively, especially in rodents. While the MCAO model provides stroke researchers with an excellent platform to investigate the disease, controversial or even paradoxical results are occasionally seen in the literature utilizing this model. Various factors exert important effects on the outcome in this stroke model, including the age and sex of the animal examined. This paper discusses emerging information on the effects of age and sex on ischemic outcomes after MCAO, with an emphasis on mouse models of stroke.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Major types of animal models of ischemic stroke.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Diagram of cerebrovascular anatomy and MCAO in rats. Reprinted with permission from Longa, EZ et al., Stroke 1989 20: 84–91. a., artery; Com.: common; Ext.: external; Int.: internal.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Evolution of infarct in mouse brain after 90-minute MCAO.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mechanisms of PARP-AIF and cytochrome C-caspase-mediated cell death pathways predominant, respectively, in male and female brains after ischemia. The figure was produced using Servier Medical Art.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Rosamond W, Flegal K, Furie K, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2008 update: a report from the American heart association statistics committee and stroke statistics subcommittee. Circulation. 2008;117(4):e25–e46. - PubMed
    1. Armstead WM, Ganguly K, Kiessling JW, et al. Signaling, delivery and age as emerging issues in the benefit/risk ratio outcome of tPA for treatment of CNS ischemic disorders. Journal of Neurochemistry. 2010;113(2):303–312. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Traystman RJ. Animal models of focal and global cerebral ischemia. ILAR Journal. 2003;44(2):85–95. - PubMed
    1. Megyesi JF, Vollrath B, Cook DA, Findlay JM. In vivo animal models of cerebral vasospasm: a review. Neurosurgery. 2000;46(2):448–461. - PubMed
    1. Ashwal S, Pearce WJ. Animal models of neonatal stroke. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2001;13(6):506–516. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources