An isolated skeletal muscle model suitable for acute ischemia studies.

A modified isolated canine gracilis model of acute complete muscle ischemia was developed and then tested metabolically and histologically in 25 animals to assess its validity. In each dog, both gracili were isolated on their major vascular pedicles. One muscle underwent ischemia and reperfusion by placing and removing microvascular clips on the artery and vein. The other gracilis muscle was used as a control. Total muscle blood flow measurements, blood samples, and muscle biopsies were taken every other hour for up to 11 hr after preparation. The fiber-type profile of the gracilis was determined bilaterally using a myosin ATPase stain (n = 10). The results verified these hypotheses: after surgical preparation, the right and left muscles in the same dog are equivalent metabolically, after a 2-hr stabilization period, gracilis blood flow, oxygen and glucose uptake, lactate release, and tissue glycogen, lactate, phosphocreatine, and ATP levels remain within normal limits and unchanged for the next 9 hr, the surgical isolation of the gracilis muscle on a single vascular pedicle does not result in significant metabolic changes, in this model, a 2-hr ischemia is reversible, but a 7-hr ischemia results in irreversible ischemic injury. As well, fiber-type profile, muscle blood flow, and metabolic parameters can very significantly among animals supporting the necessity of a contralateral control. Therefore, this modified gracilis muscle model with its contralateral muscle as a control is suitable for acute skeletal muscle ischemia experiments of at least 9-hr duration.