Stability of thrombosis induced by electrocoagulation of rat middle cerebral artery.
OBJECTIVE
Although it is often assumed in experimental stroke studies that cautery-induced occlusion is permanent, surgeons commonly expect cauterized vessels to recanalize spontaneously. We used the rat middle cerebral artery to determine if electrocoagulation would produce a permanent occlusion in this preparation.


RESULTS
A standard bipolar coagulator, calibrated to determine actual power output, was adjusted to induce platelet aggregation in the middle cerebral artery of anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats without inducing bleeding through the arterial wall. A reliable temporary thrombosis was induced by a Malis Bipolar Coagulator set to deliver 10 bursts of 1.5 seconds each at a rate of 24 min-1 and a power setting of 3 W. This thrombus was responsive to the antithrombotic agent flunarizine. An apparently permanent occlusion was produced by 30 bursts at 3 W followed by 20 bursts at 5 W. To our surprise, seven of seven such occlusions recanalized spontaneously within 4 hours.


CONCLUSIONS
The electrocoagulation process commonly used in experimental stroke studies may produce only a temporary occlusion of the rat middle cerebral artery.
el-Sabban
F
F
Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Ky.
Reid
K H
KH
Zhang
Y P
YP
Edmonds
H L
HL
D000818:Animals; D002536:Cerebral Arteries; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004564:Electrocoagulation; D005444:Flunarizine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors
D005444:Flunarizine