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Author Spotlight: Assessing Ischemic Stroke Damage Through Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model
Published on: August 11, 2023
Validity of Laser Doppler Flowmetry in Predicting Outcome in Murine Intraluminal Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion
Vishnumurthy Shushrutha Hedna1, Saeed Ansari2, Shima Shahjouei3
1Vishnumurthy Shushrutha Hedna and Saeed Ansari contributed equally to this work. ; Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Background:
Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) can reliably reflect brain perfusion in experimental stroke by monitoring both the degree and the duration of relative regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). Variation in rCBF was continuously monitored in 68 mice undergoing middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and 25 mice undergoing sham-operation and documented as LDF (%). Transcranial LDF changes in the territory of right middle cerebral artery during MCAO procedure were correlated with corrected infarct volume (CIV) and neurological deficit score (NDS).
Methods:
Ninety-three C57BL/6 mice (Harlan Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN) between 9 and 11 weeks old were randomly selected and assigned to either MCAO for 45 minutes (n = 68) or sham group (n = 25). Ischemia was induced using the transient intraluminal filament model of MCAO based on Koizumi's method and transcranial LDF was used to measure CBF during the procedure. Neurological deficits were measured at 2 and 23 hours after MCA reperfusion with NDS and 2% triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining of carefully dissected brains was performed at 23 hours after reperfusion to determine infarct area.
Results:
After common carotid artery occlusion (CCAO), there was a negative association between LDF drop from base line and NDS at 2 hours (r = -0.43, P = 0.038) and 23 hours (r = -0.61, P = 0.003). Also, a negative correlation was noted between MCA reperfusion LDF and NDS at 23 hours (r = -0.53, P = 0.001). Moreover, post-MCA reperfusion LDF had a positive association with initial CCAO LDF (r = 0.761, P = 0.000) and MCA occlusion LDF (r = 0.31, P = 0.036) in predicting neurological outcome. NDS at 23 hours corresponded well with the infarct volume (r = 0.31, P = 0.005).
Conclusions:
Greater augmentation of rCBF after MCA reperfusion was associated with improved neurological deficit scoring. Interestingly, greater reduction of regional cerebral blood flow after CCAO was also associated with improved neurological outcomes. The favorable neurological outcome is possibly due to interplay of factors such as vascular reserve, collaterals, and autoregulation mechanisms. We propose LDF changes as an additional noninvasive prognosticator of stroke outcome in the setting of experimental brain ischemia.
Insights
Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) can predict stroke outcomes by monitoring regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) changes. Greater rCBF reduction during ischemia and augmentation during reperfusion correlate with better neurological recovery in experimental stroke models.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cardiovascular Research
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) is a tool for assessing brain perfusion.
- Monitoring regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) is crucial in experimental stroke models.
- LDF quantifies both the extent and duration of rCBF changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate transcranial LDF changes with neurological deficit scores (NDS) and infarct volume in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).
- To evaluate LDF as a noninvasive prognosticator of stroke outcome.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-three C57BL/6 mice were subjected to transient MCAO or sham procedures.
- Transcranial LDF measured rCBF during ischemia and reperfusion.
- Neurological deficits were assessed using NDS at 2 and 23 hours post-reperfusion.
- Infarct volume was determined by TTC staining at 23 hours.
Main Results:
- A significant negative association was found between LDF drop during common carotid artery occlusion (CCAO) and NDS at both 2 and 23 hours.
- MCA reperfusion LDF correlated negatively with NDS at 23 hours.
- Post-reperfusion LDF positively associated with initial LDF during CCAO and MCA occlusion, predicting neurological outcome.
- NDS at 23 hours correlated well with infarct volume.
Conclusions:
- Increased rCBF augmentation after reperfusion is linked to improved neurological deficit scores.
- Greater rCBF reduction during ischemia also correlated with better neurological outcomes.
- LDF changes show promise as a noninvasive prognostic tool for experimental stroke outcomes.
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