Modeling Transient Focal Ischemic Stroke in Rodents by Intraluminal Filament Method of Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion.

The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model is widely used for inducing a focal cerebral ischemic insult (stroke) in rodents. Here, we describe a method for transient MCAO technique without craniotomy in both mice and rats. In our laboratory, this technique yields consistent secondary brain damage that evolves over a period of 3-7 days of reperfusion after transient MCAO. We also describe the methods for analyzing postischemic motor dysfunction and infarct volume in rodents subjected to transient MCAO.