Bifunctional staining for ex vivo determination of area at risk in rabbits with reperfused myocardial infarction

Figure 3 Bifunctional staining methods. A: A plastic catheter filled with saline was inserted into the aorta and anchored with its tip 1 cm above the aortic valves, which was connected to a 10 mL syringe fixed in the injection bump. The heart was gently rinsed to wash out remaining blood, then the left circumflex coronary artery was re-ligated, and 2-4 mL of red iodized oil (RIO) dye was infused; B: Homemade RIO dye; C: Lateral view of the RIO perfused heart. The perfusion of RIO dye was stopped when the normal myocardium was stained completely scarlet red, while the area at risk remained unstained.