Abstract #1457

Flint J, Blackband S, Thelwall P

We have employed a modified version of the Rice-Vannucci model of cerebral hypoxia to produce focal hypoxic lesions in adult rats. The model requires ligation of one carotid artery followed by exposure to a low-oxygen environment, resulting in a hypoxic lesion ipsilateral to artery ligation. This model is well suited to MR studies of hypoxia as initiation of and recovery from hypoxic insult is effected by changing the anesthetic carrier gas, requiring no physical manipulation of the animal. We acquired diffusion weighted images from rats under normoxic, hypoxic and post mortem conditions, and observed focal lesions during hypoxia.