Why are infant gerbils more resistant than adults to cerebral infarction after carotid ligation?

Younger gerbils have been found to be more resistant than adults to cerebral infarction after carotid ligation. In this study, the perfused cerebral area after bilateral common carotid occlusion was evaluated in infant, young, and adult Mongolian gerbils by the carbon black perfusion method to assess the existence and significance of collateral blood vessels between the vertebrobasilar and carotid circulations. Nineteen gerbils were divided into three groups (i.e., infant, young and adult gerbils aged 3-4, 5-7, and 10-17 weeks, respectively). After bilateral common carotid artery occlusion, carbon black was injected directly into the left ventricle by cardiac puncture through the closed thorax. In five of eight infant gerbils, the whole brain was perfused by carbon black, while in the remaining three, only the cerebellum and brainstem were stained well, and marked bilateral cerebral pallor was observed. On the other hand, carbon black did not perfuse the brain region supplied by the carotid arteries, both in young and adult gerbils (11 animals in total). These results suggest that infant gerbils might have a more highly developed network of collateral blood vessels between the vertebrobasilar and carotid circulations, and the existence of such a significant network might be the basis for the fact that infant gerbils are resistant to cerebral infarction following carotid ligation. We propose that gerbils should be used as a stroke model only when they are 5 weeks old or older.