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Remote Ischemic Conditioning in Rodents: Tourniquet vs. Cuff Occlusion
Author(s) -
El Dabagh Yasmin Sanaya Hauge,
Mohanakumar Sheyanth,
Hagensen Mette K.,
Pedersen Michael
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.727.10
Subject(s) - tourniquet , medicine , hindlimb , cuff , occlusion , blood flow , ischemia , anesthesia , surgery , anatomy
Purpose Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) implies that transient cycles of ischemia and reperfusion in a limb can activate innate protective responses against ischemia. RIC is usually accomplished in rodents by tightening either a tourniquet or an inflatable cuff on the hind limb. However, the optimal method is not established. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to perform a comparison of the effects of RIC performed with a tourniquet and an inflatable cuff. Methods Eleven male C57/Bl6 mice were randomized into three groups: sham occlusion (n=3), tourniquet occlusion (n=4) and cuff occlusion at 200 mm Hg (n=4). Animals receiving occlusions were subjected to two cycles of 5 minutes unilateral hind limb occlusion and 5 minutes of reperfusion. Occlusion of blood flow to the hind limb was verified with Near Infrared Fluorescence (NIRF) imaging (figure 1). Motor function of the hind limbs was evaluated using a Rotarod, muscle tissue was harvested for histological analysis, and wet‐to‐dry muscle weight ratio was measured. Results NIRF imaging showed that complete occlusion of blood flow to the hind limb was obtained with both tourniquet and cuff occlusion. The tourniquet group scored significantly lower in the motor function tests (p<0.05) compared with the sham and cuff group which did not differ significantly (figure 2). There were no significant histological signs of muscle damage and wet‐to‐dry muscle weight ratio did not imply edema in any groups. Conclusion Complete occlusion of blood flow to the hind limb can be obtained with both a tourniquet and an inflatable blood pressure cuff. Thus, both methods can be used to induce RIC. However, motor function of the hind limb was reduced in animals exposed to tourniquet occlusion indicating that the inflatable cuff should be the preferred method in order to reduce stress on the animals. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .