A simple modification results in greater success in the model of coronary artery ligation and myocardial ischemia in mice.

Mouse models of myocardial ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and ischemic postconditioning (IPD) have proven to be very useful models of cardiovascular diseases. In 2010, Gao described a novel procedure without the aid of mechanical ventilation. However, the technique of heart externalization could not be applied to mouse models of IPC or IPD due to the limited time frame of the technique. We proposed a modified simple and safe method using lung recruitment and short-term ventilation to perform the procedure in mice with IPC or IPD. The mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: the modified groups, M-IPC and M-IPD, and the conventional groups, C-IPC and C-IPD. In the 2 modified groups, the mice were removed from the ventilator and allowed to resume breathing spontaneously upon completion of the lung recruitment and the rapid closure of the thorax. Our study demonstrated that the postoperative recovery time was significantly reduced for the modified groups compared with the 2 conventional groups. Moreover, the inflammatory damages were attenuated by the modified method compared with the conventional method. In addition, the modified method significantly increased the survival rates of mice with IPC or IPD. The modified method improved the survival rates of mouse models of myocardial ischemia.