Establishment of the Rat Model of Intracranial Aneurysm Contributing to the Development of Endovascular Devices

Background: Endovascular treatment has become the major choice for treating intracranial aneurysm (IA). The development of novel endovascular devices for IA treatment is, therefore, socially important. For this purpose, a preclinical animal model to test a prototype of devices plays a crucial role. The major problems regarding currently used preclinical animal models, mainly in medium-to-large animals, are the expense and the lack of IA pathology, as they only mimic the morphological aspect. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were used, and the new bifurcation was formed via end-to-side anastomosis of carotid arteries. An aneurysm lesion induced at the newly formed bifurcation site was macroscopically assessed. Endovascular coiling of the induced aneurysm was then done. Results: An aneurysm lesion with a balloon-like shape, as in human cases, was induced at the newly formed bifurcation site. Some of the induced lesions spontaneously ruptured. Endovascular coiling was successfully done by using the micro-catheter and coil used at the clinical site. Conclusions: The rat model of IAs established here provides a novel platform contributing to the development of endovascular devices to treat IAs and, therefore, significantly facilitates the development of devices to achieve more effective treatment.