A comprehensive model of blood flow restriction in the postsurgical rat
Abstract The mechanisms underlying blood flow restriction with low‐load exercise (BFR‐exercise)‐mediated muscle hypertrophy are not well understood. Lack of standardized rodent models of BFR‐exercise likely contributes to this gap. We demonstrate in male rats a comprehensive, clinically relevant protocol that generates a muscle loss state via bilateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, achieves targeted, external blood flow occlusion, and performs weighted hind‐limb isolating knee extension exercise with BFR. These methods can be applied to mechanistic and physiologic studies of BFR‐exercise.
Authors
- Christopher B. Taber (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2446-311X)
- Alan Dardik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5022-7367)
- Andrew L. Raines
- Hualong Bai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4039-414X)
- Andin Fosam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4012-0130)
- Christina R. Allen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6454-6131)
- Rachel J. Perry (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0748-8064)
- Julie O’Connell
- Yuichi Ohashi
- Susana Castelo Branco Ramos Nakandakari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4451-2935)
- Isabella Chavez Miranda
Institutions
- Sacred Heart University (US)
- Yale University (US)
- Artistic Realization Technologies (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physiological Reports
- Published
- 2025-08-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70495
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.38
Funders
- Yale University
- National Institutes of Health
- National Cancer Institute
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences