Abstract
Photochemical embolization is an emerging method for establishing post-stroke dysphagia models. The use of different anesthetics is a key factor affecting the outcome of ischemic stroke modeling. This study compared the effects of three different anesthetics on the outcomes of mice with dysphagia modeled by photochemical embolization. Sixty-six male C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups consisting of tribromoethanol, isoflurane, pentobarbital sodium and control. The cerebral blood flow and wake-up time were recorded before and after modeling. Mortality, cerebral blood flow, neurological deficit score, infarct volume, water intake, swallowing counts, and swallowing EMG area were assessed 48 hours later. The results of the study showed that 48 hours after modeling, mice in the three groups all developed localized cerebral infarction and dysphagia. The mice in the isoflurane group had a different decreasing trend in cerebral blood flow within 48 hours after modeling. These mice needed less time to wake up and had lower mortality compared with those in the other model groups. These findings provided suggestions and evidence for the future selection of anesthesia for PSD model preparation using the PT method.