Temporary or permanent left coronary artery (LCA) ligation is the most widely used model of heart failure. In the present protocol, we describe the materials necessary for the procedure, key steps of the LCA ligation, triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, and calculation of myocardial infarction (MI) size after ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury (30 min/24 h) in rats and mice. We discuss precautions and tips regarding the operation before and after surgery, both in vivo and ex vivo. The aim of this chapter is to describe the details of LCA surgery and provide recommendations for current and future surgical operators.
Keywords: Coronary artery ligation; Ischemia; Ischemia–reperfusion; Ischemic heart failure; Rodent; Surgical.