Objective To observe the mortality of vascular dementia rat model by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion, and to observe the cognitive function of rats after operation by using Morris water maze.
Methods Sixty-eight male SD rats with no significant difference in intelligence were randomly divided into 9 rats in the sham operation group and 59 rats in the BCCAO group. The mortality of rats in the two groups within 30 days after operation was recorded; MWM behavioral test was performed on ~64 d and 90~94 d to evaluate the cognitive function of the rats in the BCCAO group, and to detect the VaD modeling rate of the rats in the BCCAO group.
Results Within 30 days after BCCAO, the mortality rate of rats was 20.3%. In the MWM behavioral test, the average speed of the rats in the BCCAO group was basically the same as that in the sham-operated group (P>0.05); in the detection at 60-64 days and 90-94 days after the operation, the escape latency of the rats in the BCCAO group was longer than that in the sham-operated group. significantly prolonged (P<0.05), and the VaD molding rates were 97.9% and 95.7%, respectively.
Conclusion BCCAO method is a safe and reliable method to make VaD rat model. There was no obvious motor dysfunction in the rats after operation, and VaD in the model rats may develop at 35-60 days after operation, and last until 90 days after operation.