Differences in Demographic Characteristics and Risk Factors in Patients With Spontaneous Vertebral Artery Dissections With and Without Ischemic Events

Spontaneous vertebral artery dissection (sVADs) mainly cause cerebral ischemia, with or without associated local symptoms and signs (headache, neck pain, or cervical radiculopathy), or with local symptoms and signs only.

The choice of anesthesia influences oxidative energy metabolism and tissue survival in critically ischemic murine skin

In surgical animal studies anesthesia is used regularly. Several reports in the literature demonstrate respiratory and cardiovascular side effects of anesthesiologic agents. The aim of this study was to compare two frequently used anesthesia cocktails (ketamine/xylazine [KX] versus medetomidine/climazolam/fentanyl [MCF]) in skin flap mouse models. Systemic blood values, local metabolic parameters, and surgical outcome should be analyzed in critical ischemic skin flap models. Systemic hypoxia was found in the animals undergoing KX anesthesia compared with normoxia in the MCF group (sO(2): 89.2% +/- 2.4% versus 98.5% +/- 1.2%, P < 0.01). Analysis of tissue metabolism revealed impaired anaerobic oxygen metabolism and increased cellular damage in critical ischemic flap tissue under KX anesthesia (lactate/pyruvate ratio: KX 349.86 +/- 282.38 versus MCF 64.53 +/- 18.63; P < 0.01 and glycerol: KX 333.50 +/- 83.91 micromol/L versus MCF 195.83 +/- 29.49 micromol/L; P < 0.01). After 6 d, different rates of flap tissue necrosis could be detected (MCF 57% +/- 6% versus KX 68% +/- 6%, P < 0.01). In summary we want to point out that the type of anesthesia, the animal model and the goal of the study have to be well correlated. Comparing the effects of KX and MCF anesthesia in mice on surgical outcome was a novel aspect of our study.

A model of ischemic isolated acute liver failure in pigs: standardizing monitoring and treatment

Acute liver failure (ALF) models in pigs have been widely used for evaluating newly developed liver support systems. But hardly any guidelines are available for the surgical methods and the clinical management.

Impact of Retrievable Stents on Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment

Retrievable stents combine the high recanalization rate of stents and the capability of removing the thrombus offered by mechanical thrombectomy devices. We hypothesized that retrievable stents shorten time to recanalization in the multimodal approach for endovascular stroke treatment.

Histological evidence of delayed ischemic brain tissue damage in the rat double-hemorrhage model

The rat double-SAH model is one of the standard models to simulate delayed cerebral vasospasm (CVS) in humans. However, the proof of delayed ischemic brain damage is missing so far. Our objective was, therefore, to determine histological changes in correlation with the development of symptomatic and perfusion weighted imaging (PWI) proven CVS in this animal model. CVS was induced by injection of autologous blood in the cisterna magna of 22 Sprague-Dawley rats. Histological changes were analyzed on day 3 and day 5. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was assessed by PWI at 3 tesla magnetic resonance (MR) tomography. Neuronal cell count did not differ between sham operated and SAH rats in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex on day 3. In contrast, on day 5 after SAH the neuronal cell count was significantly reduced in the hippocampus (p<0.001) and the inner cortical layer (p=0.03). The present investigation provides quantitative data on brain tissue damage in association with delayed CVS for the first time in a rat SAH model. Accordingly, our data suggest that the rat double-SAH model may be suitable to mimic delayed ischemic brain damage due to CVS and to investigate the neuroprotective effects of drugs.