Ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery. Surgical technique

Abstract

Ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery. Surgical technique

Background: An experimental model for ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (ADA) in rats has been commonly used in research into ischemic cardiopathy. However, this procedure is very difficult, with a high mortality rate. There is little information in the literature regarding its technical aspects. Our objective was to describe a surgical technique for ADA ligation in rats. Material and Method: Fifty-one Sprague-Dawley male rats weighting 230 +/- 20 gr were anaesthetized and connected to mechanical ventilation. Through a left-side thoracothomy we ligated the ADA 2 mm below the junction of the pulmonary artery and the left atrial appendage. The next day we performed transthoracic echocardiography to confirm our results. Results: The mortality rate was 7.8% (4 out of 51). The main cause of death was hemorrhage during surgery. The average time for the procedure was 45 +/- 5 min. We confirmed hypokinesia of the anterior lateral wall in 100% of the surviving rats. Discussion: This procedure was reproducible and safe, with less than 10% mortality.