Functional Recovery Assessment
Objective: Assessment of animal functional recovery after stroke at 1, 2, and 3 weeks post-dMCAO (distal middle cerebral artery occlusion)
This is a Functional Recovery Assessment protocol using mouse as the model organism. The procedure involves 7 procedural steps, 3 equipment items, 1 materials. Extracted from a 2015 paper published in Journal of Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
mouse • Not specified in provided text • unknown • Not specified in provided text • Not specified in provided text
Study window
~3 week study window | ~48 hours hands-on
Core workflow
Surgical induction of stroke • Treatment initiation • Two-photon microscopy assessment
Primary readouts
- Blood flow in peri-infarct area
- Microvascular integrity
- Capillary tight junction preservation
- Infarct size (34% reduction measured)
Key equipment and reagents
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Protocol Steps
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Surgical induction of stroke
Distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO) performed on mice
Note: Baseline timepoint for subsequent assessments
View evidence from paper
“mouse distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO)”
Treatment initiation
Intravenous injections of miR-155 inhibitor administered to treatment group
Note: Treatment initiated at 48 hours after stroke induction
View evidence from paper
“Intravenous injections of a specific miR-155 inhibitor were initiated at 48 h after mouse distal middle cerebral artery occlusion”
Two-photon microscopy assessment
In vivo imaging to assess blood flow and microvascular integrity in peri-infarct area
Note: Performed at 1, 2, and 3 weeks post-dMCAO
View evidence from paper
“Using in vivo two-photon microscopy, we detected improved blood flow and microvascular integrity in the peri-infarct area”
Electron microscopy examination
Assessment of capillary tight junctions and neuronal damage in peri-infarct area
Note: Performed at 1, 2, and 3 weeks post-dMCAO
View evidence from paper
“Electron microscopy revealed that, in contrast to the control group, these animals demonstrated well preserved capillary tight junctions”
Western blot analysis
Analysis of tight junction protein ZO-1 and miR-155 target protein Rheb stabilization
Note: Performed at 1, 2, and 3 weeks post-dMCAO
View evidence from paper
“Western blot analysis data indicate that improved TJ integrity in the inhibitor-injected animals could be associated with stabilization of the TJ protein ZO-1”
MRI analysis
Measurement of infarct size in brain tissue
Note: Performed at 3 weeks (21 days) post-dMCAO
View evidence from paper
“MRI analysis showed significant (34%) reduction of infarct size in miR-155 inhibitor-injected animals at 21 d after dMCAO”
Functional recovery assessment
Evaluation of animal functional recovery following stroke and treatment
Note: Specific functional tests not detailed in provided text
View evidence from paper
“Microvasculature in peri-infarct area, infarct size, and animal functional recovery were assessed at 1, 2, and 3 weeks after dMCAO”