Hippocampal cell loss after an anterior and posterior anastomotic vein occlusion model in rats

Estimation of the cell number after cortical venous ischemia/infarction induced by anterior and posterior anastomotic veins occlusion in a rat model is very important. Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this experiment. Small burr-holes were made over the anterior (the crossing point of the line drawn from the posterior border of the orbital rim and the line drawn along the para-midline to the superior sagittal suture) and posterior (just inferior point of the posterior ending of the zygomatic arch) anastomotic veins. Bipolar coagulation technique and micro-scissor were used to sacrifice the venous vessels after final inspection and description. Specimens were evaluated by histopathological and unbiased stereological methods for microscopic evaluation and volumetric analysis, respectively. Significant cell loss was seen in the pyramidal and granule cells of the cornu ammonis and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus after venous ischemia. Cell loss was also pronounced when seen in the histological examination. The present results suggest that the sacrifice of anterior and posterior anastomotic veins can be used as an experimental rat model in the evaluation of pyramidal and granule cell loss in the hippocampus that often assesses the neural damage inflicted by this intervention.

► Anterior and posterior anastomotic veins occlusion promotes to cell death process. ► Cells in the hippocampus are died by the way of apoptosis and necrosis. ► Total cell number decreased in the occluded side of hippocampus.