Bilateral occlusion of carotid artery in awake hypertensive rats (SHR-SP) as a model of global cerebral ischemia.

Bilateral occlusion of carotid arteries in awake hypertensive rats (SHR-SP) was used as a model of global brain ischemia (duration of occlusion--until appearance of seizures). In normotensive rats (WKY), no seizures developed over 60 min. We revealed swelling of mitochondria in dendrites of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells, which was more pronounced in SHP-SP than in WKY rats. Blood pressure and heart rate in SHR-SP rats increased starting from the first minutes of occlusion, while in WKY rats these parameters remained unchanged. We proved that bilateral occlusion of the carotid arteries in awake SHR-SP rats can be used as an adequate model of global cerebral ischemia.