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Updated: Oct 13, 2026
Selective and Permanent Occlusion of the Middle Cerebral Artery in Rats: An Experimental Approach for Studying Motor and Spatial Memory Deficits
Published on: March 20, 2026
Involvement of cortical damage in the ischemia/reperfusion-induced memory impairment of Wistar rats
1National Institute of Toxicological Research, Korea Food and Drug Administration 5, Seoul. jinthong@kfda.go.kr
Abstract:
The effect of ischemia/reperfusion-induced neuronal damage on the memory impairment were investigated using active avoidance and Morris water maze tasks in Wistar rats. Focal ischemia was induced by 1 h occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) of Wistar male rats. Reperfusion was induced by releasing the occlusion and restoring the blood circulation for 24 h. The acquisition and preservation memory tested by active avoidance showed a significant difference between the sham and ischemia/reperfusion group. The water maze acquisition performance was also significant difference between sham and ischemia/reperfusion groups in both latency and moving distance. The infarction volume was increased by the ischemia/reperfusion. Furthermore, the cresyl violet staining of the ischemia/reperfusion brain showed severe neuronal damage (pyramidal cell loss) in the cortex in addition to the striatum lesion of brain. This study shows that pyramidal cell damage in the cortex lesion may be partially related to memorial disturbance in the ischemia/reperfusion brain injury.
Insights
Ischemia/reperfusion brain injury in rats caused significant memory impairment. This neuronal damage, particularly pyramidal cell loss in the cortex, is linked to memory disturbances after stroke.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pathology
Background:
- Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major cause of stroke.
- Neuronal damage following I/R can lead to cognitive deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of I/R-induced neuronal damage on memory impairment.
- To explore the relationship between cortical neuronal damage and memory deficits.
Main Methods:
- Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in Wistar rats by middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion for 1 hour, followed by 24 hours of reperfusion.
- Memory function was assessed using active avoidance and Morris water maze tasks.
- Brain tissue was analyzed using cresyl violet staining to evaluate neuronal damage and infarction volume.
Main Results:
- Ischemia/reperfusion significantly impaired memory acquisition and retention in active avoidance tasks.
- Rats subjected to I/R showed poorer performance in the Morris water maze, with increased latency and distance.
- Significant neuronal damage, including pyramidal cell loss in the cortex and striatal lesions, was observed in I/R brains.
- Infarction volume was notably increased in the I/R group.
Conclusions:
- Ischemia/reperfusion brain injury leads to significant memory impairment in rats.
- Cortical pyramidal cell damage is a potential contributing factor to the observed memory disturbances in I/R brain injury.
