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Updated: Jun 9, 2025
Confirmation of Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury in Mice Using Surface Pad Electrocardiography
Published on: November 24, 2016
Evaluation of general anesthesia protocols for a highly controlled cardiac ischemia-reperfusion model in mice
Christelle Leon1,2, Alice Ruelle1,2, Juliette Geoffray1,2
1Université-Lyon, CarMeN Laboratory, Inserm U1060, INRA U1397, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France.
Background:
The aim of our study was to test different anesthetic mixtures in order to identify the most suitable one for a surgical cardiac ischemia-reperfusion model in mice.
Methods:
1) Sixty four mice were submitted to one of the 6 combinations of ketamine or alfaxalone associated to xylazine, medetomidine or midazolam. Depth and quality of anesthesia were evaluated via 5 reflex scores. 2) Impact of analgesic (buprenorphine or butorphanol), anesthesia reversal (with atipamezole) and surgery (cardiac ischemia-reperfusion surgery) have been tested in the selected protocols. 3) infarction size has been measured with TTC (Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride) method in mice anesthetized with best protocols.
Results:
Protocol involving medetomidine induced the longest surgical anesthesia: (median = 120, {interquartile range = 100-125}) min with ketamine and 53 {25-100} min with alfaxalone. Butorphanol substitution with buprenorphine did not alter time-related anesthesia parameters. Atipamezole reversal considerably reduced both recovery and immobilization time (respectively 22 {18-30} min and 98 {88-99} min vs. 55 {40-70} min and 143 {131-149} min, in groups with no reversal, p = 0.001) with no impact on infarction size measurement.
Conclusion:
In this study, the combination alfaxalone/medetomidine/buprenorphine (80/0,3/0,075 mg.kg-1, s.c.) associated with reversal by atipamezole was a reliable anesthetic protocol for murine surgery, particularly for the study of ischemia-reperfusion.
