title: Application of sodium alginate microspheres in ischemic stroke modeling in miniature pigs.
abstract: The miniature pig is an optimal animal model for studying nervous system disease because of its physiologic and pathologic features. However, the rete mirabile composed of arteries and veins at the skull base limits their application as a model of ischemic stroke by middle cerebral artery occlusion. The present study investigated the possibility of establishing an ischemic stroke model in the miniature pig by blocking the skull base retia with sodium alginate microspheres. Three Bama miniature pigs were used. Using the monitor of C-arm X-ray machine, sodium alginate microspheres (100-300 μm), a novel embolic material, were injected through the femoral artery, aortic arch, common carotid artery, ascending pharyngeal artery and the retia. Results were evaluated using carotid arteriography, MRI, behavior observation and histology. The unilateral rete mirabile was completely blocked, resulting in disturbance in blood supply to the basal ganglia, astasia of the right hind limb and salivation. MRI and hematoxylin-eosin staining showed an evident infarction focus in the basal ganglia. These findings indicate that sodium alginate microspheres are a suitable embolic material for blocking the skull base retia in miniature pigs to establish an ischemic stroke models.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Yongchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Liujun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Aili
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Jianzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Wu Stem Cells Medical Center, Beijing Union Health Co., Ltd., Beijing 100070, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Wu Stem Cells Medical Center, Beijing Union Health Co., Ltd., Beijing 100070, China.
authors.forename: Like
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
keywords: basilar blood vessels; brain injury; grants-supported paper; middle cerebral artery; miniature pig; neural regeneration; neuroregeneration; sodium alginate microsphere; stroke