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Table 1 Extracted factors and outcome measures

From: Method parameters’ impact on mortality and variability in rat stroke experiments: a meta-analysis

Factor/Outcome measure

Data type

Final categories* or unit

Reference category for regression analyses

Rat property factors

Strain

Category

I. Sprague Dawley

Sprague Dawley

II. Wistar

III. SHR

IV. WKY

V. Other strains

Sex

Category

I. Male

Male

II. Female

III. Ovx female

IV. Mix or not specified

Elderly rats **

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Weight

Continuous

Grams

NA

Animal exclusion rate

Continuous

%

NA

Anesthesia factors

Type of anesthetic

Category

I. Inhalation anesthetic

Inhalation anesthetic

II. Chloral hydrate

III. Ketamine

IV. Barbiturates and benzodiazepines

V. Other anesthetics

Intubation

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Awakening of rats during occlusion

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Temperature feedback system

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Electroencephalographic surveillance

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Blood pressure monitored

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Heart rate monitored

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Blood gases/O 2 saturation analyzed

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Blood hemoglobin concentration analyzed

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Blood glucose concentration analyzed

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Postoperative antibiotics

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Focal ischemia procedure factors

Type of middle cerebral artery occlusion procedure

Category

I. Intraluminal filament

Intraluminal filament

II. Direct, mechanical***

III. Embolic

IV. Photothrombotic

V. Endothelin injection

Occlusion duration****

Category

I. Short transient (up to 60 minutes)

Short transient (up to 60 minutes)

II. Long transient (>60 min)

III. Permanent

Occluding filament type (Only studies using the intraluminal filament method)

Category

I. Uncoated

Uncoated

II. Silicon coated

III. Poly-L-Lysine coated

IV. Other coatings

Analysis procedure factors

Time after focal ischemia for evaluation of damage

Continuous

Hours

NA

Type of infarct size evaluation

Category

I. TTC

TTC

II. Radiology

III. Acidic/Basic stain or silver stain histology

IV. Immunohistology

Edema correction used

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Blinding of infarct size determination procedure

Category, Binomial

[No]

[No]

[Yes]

Criteria for excluding rats

Category

I. None

None

II. Observed absence of cerebral blood flow reduction

III. Lack of functional deficit

IV. Too small infarct

V. Other pathology in animal

Outcome measures

Infarct size coefficient of variation

Continuous

%

NA

Mortality rate

Continuous

%

NA

  1. * Only categories represented by at least 5 control groups were included in the analysis to avoid statistically inadequate attribution of explanatory value to too small categories. Categories represented by less than 5 control groups were in the analysis included in an Others category. Further, some other reductions in number of categories were performed, as presented below.
  2. ** Elderly rats were defined as being >12 months of age at time of ischemic insult.
  3. *** Direct, mechanical refers to all MCAo procedures where the MCA is mechanically occluded from the outside, for example by clips, cauterization or ligation.
  4. **** Only methods including actions taken to ensure reperfusion (such as removing the occluding intraluminal filament or arterial clip) were considered transient.
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BMC Neuroscience

ISSN: 1471-2202

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