Pulmonary consequences of experimentally induced stroke: differences between global and focal cerebral ischemia.

Introduction: Cerebral ischemia leads to multiple organ dysfunctions, with the lungs among the most severely affected. Although adverse pulmonary consequences contribute significantly to reduced life expectancy after stroke, the impact of global or focal cerebral ischemia on respiratory mechanical parameters remains poorly understood.

Methods: Rats were randomly assigned to undergo surgery to induce permanent global cerebral ischemia (2VO) or focal cerebral ischemia (MCAO), or to receive a sham operation (SHAM).

Comparison of the respiratory effects of commonly utilized general anaesthesia regimes in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Respiratory parameters in experimental animals are often characterised under general anaesthesia. However, anaesthesia regimes may alter the functional and mechanical properties of the respiratory system. While most anaesthesia regimes have been shown to affect the respiratory system, the effects of general anaesthesia protocols commonly used in animal models on lung function have not been systematically compared.