EXPERIMENTAL EMBOLIC STROKE IN THE GUINEA PIG (CUVIS COBAYA)

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Abstract
Because of the demonstrated suitability of the guinea pig for a large variety of laboratory investigations, a stroke model was developed. Using a relatively simple technique of internal carotid embolization with Sephadex microspheres, stroke was induced in Hartley strain guinea pigs. Important clinical signs, observed only in animals with cerebral infarction, are indicative of a successful procedure; these included convulsion, obtundation, piloerection and death. A clinical diagnosis of stroke was confirmed by histoloical evidence in 80% of the cases. Among the clinical signs observed, convulsion, obtundation and death were the most dependable evidence of stroke. Piloerection was the only other dependable predictive feature. Among animals having piloerection, stroke was confirmed in 86.6%. Motor weakness and head cocking occurred too infrequently in animals with stroke and often enough in association with apparently unsuccessful procedures to be considered reliable evidence of cerebral infarction. [Although there are problems, the advantages of this model appear to outweigh the disadvantages, and it should prove to be an asset to experimental stroke research.].