Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026

2-Vessel Occlusion/Hypotension: A Rat Model of Global Brain Ischemia
Published on: June 22, 2013
Transient brain ischemia due to cardiac arrest causes irreversible long-lasting cognitive injury
Anna Kiryk1, Ryszard Pluta, Izabela Figiel
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, 3 Pasteur Str., Poland.
Abstract:
Herein, we used a clinically-relevant model of 10 min cardiac arrest (CA) in Wistar rats. Histological analyses of the ischemic brains of old rats showed significant atrophy of CA(1) sector of hippocampus (Nissl and NeuN stainings) corresponding with increase of glial fibrillary acidic protein expression. The long-term behavioral consequences of above manipulation producing global brain ischemia were assessed in young, middle-aged and old rats, i.e., 3-, 6- and 18-months post-treatment, respectively. In young animals no differences were found in the context-dependent memory in Fear Conditioning test. The most striking behavioral abnormalities were found in middle-aged rats (6 months post-ischemia). Ischemic rats showed hyperactivity and decreased level of anxiety in Open Field and problems with spatial learning and memory in a Novel Object Location test, T-maze and Morris Water Maze. In old animals, a decline of motor and cognitive functions was found not only in ischemic but also in sham/control ones. This study describes consequences of global brain ischemia in aging animals.
Related Concept Videos
Transient Ischemic Attack l: Introduction
Ischemic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology
Ischemic Stroke l: Introduction
Traumatic Brain Injury l: Introduction
Hepatic Encephalopathy
Stroke: Introduction and Types

