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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model of Stroke
Published on: August 11, 2023
Use of an optimized transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery protocol for the mouse stroke model
Zahoor Ahmad Shah1, Khodadad Namiranian, Judy Klaus
1Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Abstract:
Intraluminal occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rodents is widely used for investigating cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury. Two types of filaments used for occlusion were tested in terms of surgical success, incidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage, and mortality: a standard 6-0 monofilament coated with methyl methacrylate glue (rigid probe) and an 8-0 monofilament coated with silicone (flexible probe). In 98 wild-type (WT) mice, the flexible probe produced significantly (P < .05) more successful strokes (73.5%) than the rigid probe (46.6%). The incidences of subarachnoid hemorrhage (3.7%) and mortality (5.6%) with the flexible probe were significantly lower than those with the rigid probe (26.6% and 11.1%, respectively). Rigid and flexible probes were also compared in heme oxygenase 1 knockout (n = 17) and WT littermates (n = 17), because knockout mice have been suggested to have more fragile blood vessels. All mice receiving the flexible probe had successful strokes, with no cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage or mortality; however, with the rigid probe, the success rate was only 80% in the WT mice and 60% in the knockout mice. The rates of subarachnoid hemorrhage and mortality were also significantly higher with the rigid probe in both genotypes, but the infarct volumes produced by each type of probe did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. We conclude that the flexible silicone-coated 8-0 probe is superior to the more rigid glue-coated probe, because it produces infarct volumes of equal size with a higher success rate and lower risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage and mortality.
Insights
A flexible silicone-coated probe for inducing middle cerebral artery occlusion in rodents is superior to rigid probes. This method increases stroke success rates while reducing risks of hemorrhage and mortality in cerebral ischemia research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cerebrovascular Research
Background:
- Intraluminal occlusion of the middle cerebral artery is a common model for studying cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury in rodents.
- The choice of filament for inducing occlusion can impact surgical outcomes, including stroke success, hemorrhage, and mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy and safety of a flexible silicone-coated probe versus a rigid methyl methacrylate glue-coated probe for middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice.
- To evaluate the performance of these probes in both wild-type and heme oxygenase 1 knockout mice, which exhibit more fragile blood vessels.
Main Methods:
- Two types of intraluminal filaments were tested: a rigid 6-0 monofilament (glue-coated) and a flexible 8-0 monofilament (silicone-coated).
- Surgical success, incidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage, mortality, and infarct volumes were assessed in 98 wild-type mice and in heme oxygenase 1 knockout and wild-type littermates.
Main Results:
- The flexible probe achieved significantly higher stroke success rates (73.5%) compared to the rigid probe (46.6%) in wild-type mice.
- The flexible probe resulted in significantly lower incidences of subarachnoid hemorrhage (3.7%) and mortality (5.6%) than the rigid probe (26.6% and 11.1%, respectively).
- In heme oxygenase 1 knockout and wild-type mice, the flexible probe yielded 100% successful strokes with no hemorrhage or mortality, while the rigid probe showed lower success rates and higher complication rates.
Conclusions:
- The flexible silicone-coated 8-0 probe is superior for inducing middle cerebral artery occlusion in rodent models.
- This probe offers a higher success rate for inducing strokes with comparable infarct volumes but with significantly reduced risks of subarachnoid hemorrhage and mortality.
- The flexible probe is particularly advantageous in genetic models with potentially fragile vasculature.
