Abstract / Summary
Oxidative stress is a major pathological mechanism underlying ischemic stroke and contributes to neuronal injury, neuroinflammation, blood–brain barrier dysfunction, and chronic neurological sequelae. Although numerous experimental models of cerebral ischemia have been developed, practical considerations for selecting appropriate models according to oxidative stress-related research objectives have not been comprehensively organized. This review provides a comparative overview of representative experimental models of focal cerebral ischemia, including middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), photothrombotic, thromboembolic, embolic cerebral infarct (ECI), and other commonly used models, from the perspective of oxidative stress. Rather than simply describing the characteristics of individual models, current evidence is synthesized to compare their pathological features, strengths, and limitations and to examine how these differences influence their application in studies of acute ischemic injury, reperfusion injury, neuroinflammation, and chronic post-stroke complications. Particular attention is given to the relationship between model characteristics and specific research objectives, highlighting key considerations for selecting appropriate experimental models. This review emphasizes the importance of matching experimental models of focal cerebral ischemia to specific pathological mechanisms and research objectives in oxidative stress research.