Cerebral Atheroembolism An Animal Model

SUMMARY Human atheromatous material was injected into the cerebral vasculature of anaesthetized rabbits via the left common carotid artery. The lethality of varying dosages was determined and the distribution and general character of occlusive vascular lesions which developed were analyzed by light and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that a dose exceeding 55 mg of the atheramatous material (125 mg/nil saline) was lethal in New Zealand white male rabbits weighing between 3 and 5 kg. In non-surviving animals, parts of the Circle of Willis and usually one or more of its major tributaries were occluded. Some surviving animals exhibited signs of neurologic deficit evidenced by motor dysfunction. Occlusive vascular lesions found in surviving animals were predominently localized in ipselateral cortical and subcortical vessels within the distribution territory of the middle cerebral artery. The character of occlusive lesions showed strong evidence of thrombosis. These results demonstrated that this experimental system may be useful as a model for the study of blood-atheroembolic vascular reactions, cerebral infarc-tion development and the testing of agents potentially prophylactic against the development or stabilization of occlusive lesions. Stroke, Vol 13, No 3, 1982 ATHEROEMBOLISM is increasingly recognized as a significant etiological factor in the development o