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Cell Biology JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Mouse Model of Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion

DOI: 10.3791/2761-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Perform intraluminal monofilament middle cerebral artery occlusion in adult mice
  • ✓ Prepare and insert suture for transient ischemic stroke induction
  • ✓ Quantify cerebral infarction using TTC staining and imaging analysis
Protocol

We demonstrate in the video a method for producing a middle cerebral artery occlusion in adult mice using an intraluminal monofilament. We also show how to evaluate the extent of cerebral infarction by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining.

Difficulty
advanced
Total time
~2–3 hours per mouse (including surgery, recovery, and staining)
Model organism
Mouse (adult, strain not specified)
Biosafety
BSL-1

Steps

1
Prepare intraluminal monofilament suture

Cut and shape a monofilament suture to the appropriate diameter and length for intraluminal insertion into the middle cerebral artery. This preparation ensures the filament will occlude the vessel upon placement.

▶ 00:22
2
Insert suture and induce arterial occlusion

Thread the prepared monofilament through the external carotid artery and advance it intraluminally to occlude the middle cerebral artery, creating focal cerebral ischemia in the mouse brain.

▶ 09:00
3
Stain and visualize cerebral infarction

Apply 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining to brain tissue sections to differentiate viable (red) from infarcted (white) tissue, enabling quantification of stroke volume.

▶ 09:00
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