Myocardial infarction was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery in P1 mice as described by Haubner et al. (2012) (link) and Porrello et al. (2013) (link). Briefly, anaesthesia was induced by a combination of hypothermia and breathable (isoflurane) anaesthetic. The animal was secured onto an ice pack for the duration of the procedure to maintain adequate anaesthesia. A 5 mm skin incision was placed over the left thorax above the fifth rib, the skin was blunt dissected and a small opening was created at the fifth intercostal space to visualise the left pulmonary lobes and heart. The LAD coronary artery was identified and ligated (9-0 Ethilon, Ethicon, Somerville, New Jersey, USA). The ribs, pectoral muscles and skin were closed (8-0 Prolene, Ethicon). Analgesia was administrated with one drop of 1/50 bupivacaine (Marcain Polyamp Steripack 0.25%, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK) in 0.9% saline (B Braun, Melsungen, Germany) onto the wound. The entire litter was tattooed for identification purposes, dabbed with material from the maternal cage and returned to the nest. Studies were conducted at day 1 and day 21 post-MI to respectively assess successful induction of injury and regeneration with ultrasound, histologic and biochemical techniques.
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