title: Hypothalamic, thalamic and hippocampal lesions in the mouse MCAO model: Potential involvement of deep cerebral arteries?
abstract: Intraluminal monofilament occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) in mice is the most used rodent model to study the pathophysiology of stroke. However, this model often shows brain damage in regions not supplied by the MCA such as the hypothalamus, hippocampus and thalamus. Several studies have suggested some explanations on these localized infarcts. We aim to provide an alternative explanation which could allow each experimenter to better grasp the MCAO model. We propose that the MCA occlusion by the monofilament also occludes deep and small cerebral arteries arising directly from the internal carotid artery, proximally to the origin of MCA. Then, drawbacks and pitfalls of the MCAO model must be appreciated and the almost systematic risk of inducing lesions in some unwanted territories for neuroanatomical reasons, i.e. vascular connections between deep arteries and hypothalamic, thalamic and hippocampal areas in rodents has to be integrated.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), U982, Rouen University, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France. Electronic address: mohamad.amki@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Amki
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), U982, Rouen University, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France; Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clavier
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), U982, Rouen University, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Perzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), U982, Rouen University, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.
authors.forename: Pierre-Olivier
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Guichet
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), U982, Rouen University, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Castel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Animal model; Brain ischemia; Cerebrovascular disease; Middle cerebral artery occlusion; Stroke