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Updated: Aug 28, 2025
Modeling Stroke in Mice - Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion with the Filament Model
Published on: January 6, 2011
Transient Intraluminal Filament Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Stroke Model in Rats: A Step-by-Step Guide and
Konstantinos M Themistoklis1, Themistoklis I Papasilekas1, Konstantinos S Melanis2
1Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece; Department of Neurosurgery, "Korgialenio, Benakio, HRC" General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Objective:
Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide. Related research, although already providing significant insights regarding the underlying pathophysiology and potential treatment strategies, has been far from conclusive. Stroke models have been proved of extreme significance for laboratories around the world. In the present report, we have described in detail the most popular to date focal stroke model, the transient intraluminal filament middle cerebral artery occlusion (tifMCAO) model in rats. This model reliably mimics stroke in humans and also approximates endovascular thrombectomy.
Methods:
The tifMCAO model was performed using Wistar rats weighing 300-400 g. We have described the surgical technique in a stepwise manner, with figures and/or high-definition video provided for each step. We have also introduced the use of complete arteriotomy of the external carotid artery stump during the procedure.
Results:
We performed tifMCAO in 65 rats (male and female) involved in various experimental protocols. Although the initial mortality was 48%, practice reduced the rate to 10%. The mean procedural time was 53 minutes (range, 38-85 minutes). In a group of 8 rats ischemia was confirmed in 7 of them, with the stroke induction rate being 87.5%.
Conclusions:
The tifMCAO stroke model in rats is the most often used experimental model of focal ischemia because of its clinical relevance. We revisited the procedure and divided it, for instructional purposes, into 15 consecutive and distinct steps.
