A simple method to stimulate ischemic stroke in Wistar rat for animal testing

Background: Rat is frequently used as a model for ischemic stroke, because it has strains with homogeny gene, and ethically has been widely accepted. Model for ischemic stroke on animal testing are global and focal ischemic. Mechanical or pharmacological approach may be used to stop the blood flow of brain artery. The purposes of making ischemic stroke model on animal testing are to study how risk factors cause brain cells damage, thus can be used as consideration for preventing ischemic stroke, and to study pathophysiological aspects and therapeutic plan (rechanalization, neuroprotection, and neurorestoration). The blood flow in brain artery may be stopped by intraluminal filament, photochemical, tromboemboli and endotelin injection, electro coagulation on brain blood vein. Methods: In this study, method to stimulate ischemic stroke on Wistar rat was done through conventional method, which is by binding (ligation) common carotid artery, external carotid artery, and internal carotid artery on proximal middle cerebral artery. Twenty five Wistar rats were used in this experiment. This experiment was conducted in Institute of Bioscience, Brawijaya University, Malang. Results: From 25 Wistar rats that subjected to the artery binding method, 2 rats (8%) showed neurological deficit level 1, one rat (4%) with level 2, 17 rats (68%) with level 3, and 5 rats (20%) with no symptom of neurological deficit. Conclusion: This simple method successfully stimulate ischemic stroke on 80% of treated rats, suggested that this method can be considered as one of methods for stimulating ischemic stroke on Wistar rat for animal testing.