Establishment and imaging evaluation of Guangxi Ba-Ma mini pigs as a model of cerebral hernia induced by acute intracranial hypertension

Abstract

In order to establish an animal model of cerebral hernia induced by acute intracranial hypertension for subsequent research in emergency medicine. Six Guangxi Ba-Ma mini-pigs which were injected with autologous arterial blood by micropump to induce intracranial hematoma in the frontal and temporal parietal lobes. Changes in intracranial pressure (ICP), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP)were observed during hematoma formation.Morphological changes and the occupying effects of intracranial hematoma were analyzed using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head. ICP, MAP and CPP gradually increased during blood injection, and they began to slowly decrease at 10 min after injection, though they remained higher than before injection. These three parameters were significantly different before blood injection, immediately after injection and at 10 min after injection (P< 0.05).Head CT and MRI showed cerebral hernia induced by acute intracranial hypertension. These results demonstrate micropump injection of autologous arterial blood can lead to acute intracranial hypertension in mini-pigs, which may be a useful model of cerebral hernia. KEY WORDSintracranial hypertension; intracranial pressure; hernia; pig; animal model Abbreviations and acronyms:CPP=cerebral perfusion pressure, CT=computed tomography, ECG=electrocardiography,ICP=intracranial pressure,MAP=mean arterial blood pressure, MRI=magnetic resonance imaging.