Abstract: Objective To develop a reliable and reproducible method of ischemic stroke model in mice. Methods Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups: three-vessel occlusion (3VO, 15-min temporary occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries superimposed on a permanent occlusion of the right distal middle cerebral artery, n=20), suture MCAO control (n=20), and sham-operated group (n=10). At 24 h functional outcome was assessed using corner test, cerebral ischemic lesion was determined by TTC staining (n=10), and then the surviral rate was measured till day 7 (n=10). Results The 3VO group got significantly lower neurological deficit score compared to sham-operated group (-0.7 vs -0.04, P<0.01). Infarct volume of mice in 3VO group was 17.6%±1.6%, while 42.6%±15.0% in MCAO group (n=10). The 3VO group got a significantly increased 7-day survival rate compared to suture MCAO group (90% vs 60%, n=10). Conclusions Our data suggest that the present three-vessel occlusion method can produce a stable and reliable mouse model suitable for research on ischemic stroke.

Key words: ischemic stroke, infarction, middle cerebral artery, animal models