Ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery is a widely used method for in- ducing myocardial infarction (MI) in experimental models; however, it is associated with sub- stantial limitations, including high mortality rates, excessive bleeding and variability in infarct size. Cryo-infarction has emerged as a promising alternative that may overcome these challenges by providing improved survival and reproducibility. In the present study, we aimed to refine the cryo-infarction method as a reliable and practical rat model for MI. Adult male Wistar rats un- derwent open-chest surgery under mechanical ventilation, followed by either LAD ligation or cryo-induced infarction. Model validation was performed using TTC (2,3,5-triphenyltetrazoli- um chloride) staining and immunofluorescence analysis, serum troponin I measurement, and electrocardiography assessment. Infarct severity was further evaluated by echocardiography, he- matoxylin, and eosin staining, and Masson\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s trichrome staining. Our findings demonstrate that cryo-infarction provides several advantages over conventional ligation, including simplicity, re- producibility, and reduced mortality. These results highlight the potential of cryo-infarction as a standard approach for developing robust animal models, benefiting both basic and translational cardiovascular research

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