title: Development of a rat respiratory mask and its application in experimental chronic myocardial ischaemia.
abstract: In addressing the challenge of the low survival rates of rats with myocardial ischaemia, we developed a novel respiratory mask. We tested this mask on the rat model. We gave attention to several features of the mask: (1) shape, (2) size, (3) inlet, (4) outlet, (5) compatibility between rat head and the mask, (6) connection between mask and ventilator. We found certain features, especially to influence mask efficacy. These features include: mask shape, mask inlet and outlet, mask connection to the respiratory machine, mask mount on the rat head. We examined the rat mask in a model of chronic myocardial ischaemia; our model was the ligation of the coronary artery. The rats with the masks experienced an increase in survival by a factor of 50-90% compared with rats deprived of the masks. Towards the examination of myocardial ischaemia, our new mask may offer a platform replete with both efficiency and stability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, National Key Discipline of Cell Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032,  China.
authors.forename: Yue-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Quan-Xing
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Xu-Zeng
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Shi-Qiang
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ding-Hua
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Aaron Joshua
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kaye
authors.forename: Franklin Rivera
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.forename: Alan David
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kaye
authors.forename: Jian-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary; D017214:Laryngeal Masks / Q000662:veterinary*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*