Photochemical and Endothelin Models of Focal Brain Ischemia

The photochemical stroke model has a number of advantages: size and location can be exactly determined, the skull need not be opened for photothrombotic stroke, the model works in rats and mice, and technical variations allow for the induction of subcortical stroke, stroke in newborn animals, or stroke with a penumbra. With photochemical reactions, thrombotic occlusions of large arteries as well as of small penetrating brain arteries may also be produced. However, the model does differ in some aspects from stroke in humans. The techniques for inducing these stroke models as well as their limitations are discussed and compared to the endothelin model of focal brain ischemia.