Animal Model of Cerebral Ischemia

Kim, Hae Kyu

Abstract

Cerebral ischemia is a complex and mutifactorial process. Animal models of cerebral ischemia have been widely used to make clear the pathophysiology of the ischemic brain injury and to test the therapies against cerebral ischemia. Many animal ischemia models have been developed in numerous species and in various forms of cerebral ischemia, namely global and focal, complete and incomplete, and permanent and transient. In global cerebral ischemia, selective cell vulnerability to ischemia is a most important factor. Neurons appear to be more susceptible to hyoxia and ischemia as compared with other components, such as glial cells and vessels. In global cerebral ischemia models, the global cerebro-circulatory arrest model by occluding the inominate, the left subclavian and both mammary arteries, the bilateral carotid occlusion with systemic hypotension model in rats, the 4 vessel occlusion model in rats, and the bilateral carotid occlusion model were decribed in here. On the other hand, the main issue in the focal cerebral ischemia is a concept of ischemic thresholds of cerebral blood flow. The so-called "zone of ischemic penumbra" is of particular interest as a zone of nonfunctioning but still viable tissue that may recover its function if blood flow can be restored. As the focal cerebral ischemia model, the middle cerebral artery occlusion model in cats and rats and the embolic stroke model were discussed in here.