• Yosuke Akamatsu, Hiroaki Shimizu, Atsushi Saito, Miki Fujimura, and Teiji Tominaga.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan. redpine7219@hotmail.co.jp
• J. Neurosurg. 2012 Mar 1;116(3):657-64.

ObjectIn the intraluminal suture model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in the mouse, disturbance of blood flow from the internal carotid artery to the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) may affect the size of the infarction. In this study, PCA involvement in the model was investigated and modified for consistent MCAO without involving the PCA territory.MethodsThirty-seven C57Bl/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups according to the length of coating over the tip of the suture (1, 2, 3, or 4 mm) and subjected to transient MCAO for 2 hours. Real-time topographical cerebral blood flow was monitored over both hemispheres by laser speckle flowmetry. After 24 hours of reperfusion, the infarct territories and volumes were evaluated.ResultsThe 1- and 2-mm coating groups showed all lesions in the MCA territory. In the 3- and 4-mm coating groups, 62.5% and 75% of mice, respectively, showed lesions in both the MCA and the PCA territories and other lesions in the MCA territory. Mice in the 1- and 2-mm coating groups had significantly smaller infarct volumes than the 3- and 4-mm groups. Laser speckle flowmetry was useful to distinguish whether the PCA territory would undergo infarction.ConclusionsSmall changes in the coating length of the intraluminal suture may be critical, and 1-2 mm of coating appeared to be optimal to produce consistent MCAO without involving the PCA territory. Laser speckle flowmetry could predict the territory of infarction and improve the consistency of the infarct size.

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