Animal Modeling of Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic strokes are caused by thrombotic or embolic events that result in reduced blood and oxygen supply to the brain and account for approximately 85% of strokes. A complete understanding of these complex pathophysiological cascades of ischemia-induced molecular and cellular events is essential, and animal models of cerebral ischemia can dissect these different mechanisms of injury to find potential targets for treating ischemic brain injury. The goal of cerebral ischemia models is to reduce oxygen and glucose supply to brain tissue. There are a variety of animal models that exhibit cerebral ischemia and are designed to address specific risk factors. These models generally fall into two categories: global ischemia models and focal ischemia models. Reliable ischemic stroke models are available for a wide range of species, including primates, domestic animals, and rodents.

Fig. 1. Animal models of cerebral ischemia. (Ma et al., 2020)

Custom Animal Models of Ischemic Stroke

Ace Therapeutics provides customizable animal models of ischemic stroke to clients worldwide to help them study research mechanisms of injury and neuroprotective strategies. We also offer a range of assessment tests to measure disease outcomes, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), behavioral testing, and histology. All studies can be customized and adapted to meet customer needs.

We combine the scientific support of Ph.D. scientists, extensive phenotypic data, and customized evaluation services to accelerate your ischemic stroke research efforts. Our experimental animal models of ischemic stroke available for use in your studies include:

Global Cerebral Ischemic Stroke Animal Models

We provide global cerebral ischemia models (both incomplete and intact models) characterized by a severe reduction in cerebral blood flow throughout the brain.

• Four-vessel occlusion (4-VO) model
• Two-vessel occlusion (2-VO) model
• Complete global brain ischemia models

Focal Cerebral Ischemic Stroke Animal Models

We can model focal cerebral ischemia by mechanical occlusion of blood vessels or various embolization methods that are more associated with human stroke than global ischemia.

• Endovascular Filament Model of Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO)
• Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO) Model by Transcranial Electrocoagulation
• Embolic Stroke Models
• Endothelin-1 (ET-1) Induced Ischemic Stroke Model
• Photothrombotic Stroke Model

Applications

• Investigate mechanisms of ischemic brain injury
• Develop new therapeutic drugs for ischemia
• Examine the effects of genes, gene products, and proteins on ischemic outcomes and determine which are expressed or not at different times after ischemia

Ace Therapeutics provides optimized, ethical and scientifically robust ischemic stroke animal research models and study designs. We ensure reliable model building and high-quality results for disease endpoint measurement for our clients. Need to know more? Contact us and let one of our experts provide you with all the answers you need.

1. Ma, R., et al. (2020). Animal models of cerebral ischemia: A review. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 131, 110686.