Association between changes in weight and cerebral arteries in rats

The objective of the study was to gain a better understanding of brain artery diameters and anatomical variations for precise modification of cerebral blood supply in ischemic stroke models. Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 35) were used for the experiment. Rats were perfused and resin replicas of cerebral arteries were created using a corrosion casting technique. Resin replicas were measured and analyzed for correlation of vessel lumen with animal sex and weight. A strong correlation between root of aorta diameter and weight was observed (p < 0.0001). We also observed a significant correlation between weight, internal carotid arteries, right external carotid artery, and pterygopalatine arteries. For the common carotid artery, a significant difference between the left and right branches was observed even though there was no association with weight. There was no significant association observed between animal sex and vessel size independent of weight. A better knowledge of vessel lumen in relation to animal sex and weight is essential for adequate blockage of an intracranial artery to induce cerebral ischemia in a rat model of stroke. This study provides a viable reference for choice of rat size in relation to the size of embolic agents such as filaments, microwires, or in vitro thrombus used in ischemic stroke experiments.