Behavioural assessment of endothelin-1 induced middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The behavioural effects of unilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) induced by perivascular injection of endothelin, and a unilateral excitotoxic lesion of the striatum, were explored using the staircase test of skilled paw-reaching in the rat. A profound bilateral impairment in pellet recovery, with a concomitant increase in pellet displacement, was observed in the MCAO group. By contrast the striatal lesion group exhibited a primarily contralateral impairment. The findings provide both further insight into the control of unilateral motor function and a reliable behavioural endpoint for the assessment of experimental stroke.