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Updated: May 3, 2026
Modeling Stroke in Mice: Permanent Coagulation of the Distal Middle Cerebral Artery
Published on: July 31, 2014
A mouse model of permanent focal ischemia: distal middle cerebral artery occlusion
Kristian P Doyle1, Marion S Buckwalter
1Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Abstract:
Here we provide a standardized protocol for performing distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (DMCAO) in mice. DMCAO is a method of inducing permanent focal ischemia that is commonly used as a rodent stroke model. To perform DMCAO a temporal craniotomy is performed, and the middle cerebral artery (MCA) is permanently ligated at a point downstream of the lenticulostriate branches. The size of the lesion produced by this surgery is strain dependent. In C57BL/6J mice, DMCAO produces an infarct predominantly restricted to the barrel region of the somatosensory cortex, but in BALB/cJ mice, DMCAO generates a much larger lesion that incorporates more of the somatosensory cortex and part of the M1 region of the motor cortex. The larger lesion produced by DMCAO in BALB/cJ mice produces a clearer sensorimotor deficit, which is useful for investigating recovery from stroke. We also describe how to modify DMCAO in C57BL/6J mice with the application of hypoxia to generate a lesion and sensorimotor deficit that are similar in size to those produced by DMCAO alone in BALB/cJ mice. This is extremely useful for stroke experiments that require a robust sensorimotor deficit in transgenic mice created on a C57BL/6J background.
Insights
This study details a standardized protocol for distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (DMCAO) in mice, a common rodent stroke model. The method
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Surgical Techniques
Background:
- Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide.
- Rodent models are crucial for understanding stroke pathophysiology and testing therapies.
- Focal cerebral ischemia, particularly middle cerebral artery occlusion, is a widely used stroke model.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a standardized protocol for distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (DMCAO) in mice.
- To characterize strain-dependent lesion sizes and sensorimotor deficits following DMCAO.
- To describe a hypoxia modification for DMCAO in C57BL/6J mice to achieve larger, more robust deficits.
Main Methods:
- Distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (DMCAO) via temporal craniotomy and permanent ligation.
- Assessment of infarct size and sensorimotor deficits in different mouse strains (C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ).
- Modification of DMCAO with hypoxia in C57BL/6J mice.
Main Results:
- DMCAO produces strain-dependent infarct sizes, with BALB/cJ mice exhibiting larger lesions than C57BL/6J mice.
- Larger lesions in BALB/cJ mice result in more pronounced sensorimotor deficits.
- Hypoxia modification in C57BL/6J mice successfully mimics the lesion size and deficit of DMCAO in BALB/cJ mice.
Conclusions:
- The standardized DMCAO protocol allows for reproducible focal cerebral ischemia in rodents.
- Strain selection and hypoxia modification are critical for tailoring stroke models to specific research needs.
- This protocol facilitates the study of stroke recovery, especially in transgenic mice on a C57BL/6J background.
