Establishment of brain death model for rabbits and their pathophysiological changes / 中华肝胆外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the way to establish the brain death model for rabbits and pathophysiological changes before and after brain death.Methods 80 healthy male New Zealand rabbits were divided into brain death group (n =60) and sham operation group (n =20),The 60 brain death rabbits were established by increasing intracranial pressure in a modified,slow,and intermittent way.The sham operation rabbits were only maintained with anesthesia.Results The 56 brain death rabbits were established successfully and maintained for 10 h with the respiration and circulation supports.2 rabbits died due to anesthetic accident,the other 2 died because of improper pressure.The surgical success rate is 93.3％ (56/60).The changes of mean artery pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) in brain death group were more significant than in sham operation groupMAP and HR fluctuated and showed the increased tendency.The mean MAP and HR during increasing intracranial pressure were (400.24±18.36) mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa) and (258.00 ± 25.70) beats/min respectively,which was significantly higher than before and after increasing intracranial pressure (P＜0.05).Conclusions The brain death model for rabbits could be established by increasing intracranial pressure in a modified,slow,and intermittent way successfully and maintained 10 h.the MAP and HR before and after brain death showed characteristic changes.The model is helpful to the further observation of organ changes in brain dead state.