J Vet Sci. 2007 Dec;8(4):369-376   
 

Canine model of ischemic stroke with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion: clinical and histopathological findings

Byeong-Teck Kang1,ΆΣ, Jong-Hwan Lee2,ΆΣ, Dong-In Jung1, Chul Park3, Su-Hyun Gu1, Hyo-Won Jeon1, Dong-Pyo Jang5, Chae-Young Lim1, Fu-Shi Quan2, Young-Bo Kim5, Zang-Hee Cho5, Eung-Je Woo4, Hee-Myung Park1,*

 

1Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and 2Department of Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Korea
3Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Center and 4College of Electronics and Information, Kyunghee University, Yongin 446-701, Korea
5Neuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Incheon 405-760, Korea

* parkhee@konkuk.ac.kr

 

The aim of the present study was to assess the clinical and histopathological findings in a canine model of ischemic stroke. Cerebral ischemic stroke was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in four healthy beagle dogs using silicone plugs. They showed neurological signs of forebrain dysfunction such as reduced responsiveness, head turning, circling, postural reaction deficits, perceptual deficits, and hemianopsia. These signs gradually regressed within 4 weeks without therapy. On magnetic resonance imaging, T2 hyperintensity and T1 hypointensity were found in the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia. These lesions were well-defined and sharply demarcated from adjacent brain parenchyma with a homogenous appearance. No abnormalities of the cerebrospinal fluid were observed. At necropsy, atrophic and necrotic lesions were observed in the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus were partially unstained with triphenyl- tetrazolium chloride. Histopathologically, typical features of infarction were identified in cortical and thalamic lesions. This study demonstrates that our canine model resembles the conditions of real stroke patients.