Confirmation of Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury in Mice Using Surface Pad Electrocardiography

The overall goal of this procedure is to use electrocardiography to confirm a successful myocardial ischemia and reperfusion in mice. This method can help increase the consistency and reproducibility of the ischemia reperfusion surgery. The main advantage of this technique is that it allows the success of the ischemia and reperfusion to be assessed during the procedure, as opposed to necessitating time-consuming post-surgical analysis.

After preparing the ECG pad, place a smaller than dime-sized amount of highly conductive electrolyte gel onto each of the four metallic electrodes on the ECG pad. Then press each paw of an anesthetized supine mouse to a piece of tape, and attach the tape to an ECG electrode, taking care that each paw is in contact with the gel and the electrode. Next, configure the machine so that the ECG waveform can be visualized in real time, adjusting the resolution to account for the differences in amplitude as necessary.