7025 rodent ventilator

Eight male Sprague Dawley rats were scanned; seven were included in the results (see exclusion criteria below). Physiological data on the rats are found in Supplementary Table S1. Initial anaesthetization was performed in a chamber supplied with 5% isoflurane (Vetflurane, 1000 mg/g, Virbac, Carros, France) in 65% nitrogen/35% oxygen, followed by tracheotomy, tube insertion, and ventilation with a 7025 Rodent Ventilator (Ugo Basile, Gemonio, Italy; 69 breaths/min). Subsequently, 1–2% isoflurane maintained the anesthesia. Two catheters were inserted in the left jugular vein: one for infusion of the muscle relaxant, Nimbex (0.85 mg/mL, GlaxoSmithKline, London, UK, 20 µL/min) and injection of prazosin hydrochloride (0.1 mg/kg, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA), and one for infusion of SonoVue (Bracco, Milan, Italy). A catheter in the right carotid artery was connected to a Gould Statham P23-dB pressure transducer (Gould, CA, USA), continuously recording the mean arterial pressure (MAP). The rats lay on a heating table (~37 °C) and laparotomy exposed the left kidney. A metal retractor on the left side of the diaphragm reduced respiratory motion transferred to the kidney.

The thoracotomy was performed as described previously [23 (link)] under anesthesia with 120 mg/kg ketamine : 10 mg/kg xylazine (Sigma-Aldrich, USA) and mechanical ventilation with 7025 Rodent ventilator (Ugo Basile, Comerio, Italy) at 30% oxygen inspiratory concentration, 60–70 bpm respiratory rate, and 10 mL/kg tidal volume. The left descending coronary artery was ligated 3 mm below the left atrial appendage. The infarction was detected by visualization of a pale area with indistinct outline in the anterior and lateral myocardium of LV and confirmed by typical electrocardiogram changes in ST segment and QRS complex.