【Animal Modeling】-How to establish a model of focal cerebral ischemia in mice?

  Objective: To observe the feasibility of electrocoagulation on the middle cerebral artery in mice, occlude the middle cerebral artery, and establish the possibility of establishing a model of cerebral ischemia in mice.

  Method: Directly occlude the middle cerebral artery (middle cerebral artery, MCA) by electrocoagulation to make an adult male Balb/c mouse cerebral ischemia model (model group, n=20). At the same time, create the same batch of Balb/c. Mice underwent the same craniotomy, but without electrocoagulation and middle cerebral artery occlusion, and served as a sham operation group (sham operation group, n = 20). The neurological function score (mNSS) was used to evaluate the nerve damage in the model and sham operation groups at 24 and 72 hours after surgery.

  Result: 24 hours after the operation, a slice of the brain tissue of the injured part of Balb/c mice in the model group was taken and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Microscopic examination revealed ischemic interstitial edema of the brain tissue. With the appearance of cavities, the local brain tissue structure becomes loose, the color becomes lighter, the number of nerve cells is significantly reduced, the nerve cell body shrinks, and the outline of some cells becomes blurred. It can be seen that different degrees of cell degeneration and necrosis, nuclear pyknosis and loss of nucleoli. The neurological deficit score of the model group was significantly lower than that of the sham operation group at 24 h after surgery (P\u003c0.05), and the difference could be maintained until 72 h after surgery.

  Conclusion: Electrocoagulation can successfully establish a Balb/c mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia.