The middle cerebral artery occlusion model is widely used to simulate ischemic stroke in mice. This model allows to investigate a temporal progression of ischemic damage, evaluate effectiveness of neuroprotective agents, and explore the role of specific genes and pathways in stroke pathology with a final aim of finding new potential treatments. The implementation of neuroimaging techniques such as MRI allows to make better diagnosis, improve the assessment of outcomes, and reduce the number of animals needed in each study.
This protocol offers a clear and detailed explanation of the most commonly used technique for inducing transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Moreover, it implements the technique by introducing the precision modification of anesthesia withdrawal during occlusion time, reducing the detrimental effect of prolonged anesthesia time.
