A model of silent brain infarction induced by endovascular intervention with balloon in cynomolgus macaques: A pilot study

•A typical stroke model in cynomolgus macaques was established in a shorter time.•This study is the first time to explore a model of silent brain infarction in cynomolgus macaques.•The models were detected by imaging scan, neurological function scores and HE staining. Silent brain infarction is a special type of cerebral infarction, which can be detected by MRI or CT. The most patients with silent brain infarction show no symptoms, but some have mild depression, vascular dementia and other symptoms that are easily overlooked. Silent brain infarction is one of the risk factors for symptomatic cerebral infarction, it can develop into symptomatic cerebral infarction placing a heavy burden on families and society. Therefore, it’s prevention and treatment should be as important as symptomatic cerebral infarction. However, the pathogenesis of silent brain infarction has not been elucidated. Studies have shown that silent brain infarction models have been established in rats and mice. But compared with other animals, non-human primates are more similar to humans in neuroanatomical structure and clinical characteristics. Therefore, this study is the first time to explore the silent brain infarction model in cynomolgus macaques. In this study, a model of silent brain infarction was established by endovascular intervention using balloon occlusion at the end of internal carotid artery for 45 min, which can lay a foundation for the future research on the pathological mechanism of silent brain infarction.