Coating lengths are available from 1-2 mm to 9-10 mm. A super long coating length from 10 mm to 15 mm may also be possible through special request to Doccol. The most commonly purchased MCAO sutures have coating lengths of 5-6 mm and 4-5 mm. A shorter coating length leaves more bare surface area on the MCAO suture, which makes the surgeon feel easier to handle it. However, a shorter coating length may increase the chance of incomplete occlusion in inexperienced hands. If the coated part of the MCAO suture passes over the origin of MCA, the blood from the posterior circulation may reach MCA through the residue space around the uncoated part of the MCAO suture. A longer coating length may increase the chance of complete occlusion; however, its increased contacting area with endothelial cells may cause more traction force on those contacted endothelial cells. Such traction may cause endothelial cell damage when you withdraw the MCAO suture for reperfusion. In a summary, a shorter length may be good for reperfusion while longer length good for permanent occlusion; and the selection of the coating length will depend on your own study design, lab setting, and your surgical skill.
Regular monofilaments are designed for just one time use for most common experiments, and are not recommended for repeated use. Reusable MCAO sutures are specially designed and manufactured such that they have a more uniformed coating surface and a more rigid bare filament, which make them maintaining their shapes better after their initial use than the disposable ones do. They are designed to use twice and may be ideal for the in vivo efficacy study by using paired-controls, in which the paired animals have the same body weight and use the same monofilament. Such a use of paired-controls may drastically increase the consistence of infarction volume. In a catalog number “Re” stands for reusable.
