Chonnam Med J.  2013 Dec;49(3):118-124. 10.4068/cmj.2013.49.3.118.

Effect of Atorvastatin-Eluting Stents in a Rabbit Iliac Artery Restenosis Model

• Lim KS
• Jeong MH
• Bae IH
• Park JK
• Park DS
• Kim JM
• Kim JH
• Cho DL
• Sim DS
• Park KH
• Hong YJ
• Ahn Y

• KMID: 2048816
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4068/cmj.2013.49.3.118

Abstract

Statins have pleiotropic effects, which include the inhibition of neointima hyperplasia, the inhibition of vascular inflammation, and platelet inhibition. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an atorvastatin-eluting stent (AES) in a rabbit iliac artery overstretch restenosis model. Ten rabbits were used in this study (10 rabbits, 10 iliac arteries for each stent). An AES and paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) were implanted in the left and right iliac arteries in a rabbit (2 stents in each rabbit). The stents were deployed with oversizing (stent/artery ratio 1.3:1), and histopathologic analysis was assessed at 28 days after stenting. There were no significant differences in the injury score, lumen area, or inflammation score. There were significant differences in the neointimal area (0.7+/-0.18 mm2 in the AES group vs. 0.4+/-0.25 mm2 in the PES group, p<0.01), in the percentage stenosis area (14.8+/-5.06% in the AES group vs. 10.5+/-6.80% in the PES group, p<0.05), and in the fibrin score (0.4+/-0.51 in the AES group vs. 2.7+/-0.48 in the PES group, p<0.001). Although the AES did not suppress neointimal hyperplasia compared with the PES, it showed a superior arterial healing effect in a rabbit iliac artery overstretch restenosis model.

Keyword

Drug-eluting Stents; Coronary Restenosis; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Inflammation

MeSH Terms

Blood Platelets
Constriction, Pathologic
Coronary Restenosis
Drug-Eluting Stents
Fibrin
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
Hyperplasia
Iliac Artery*
Inflammation
Neointima
Rabbits
Stents*
Fibrin
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors

Figure

• 

  FIG. 1 Representative images of H&E staining after 4 weeks of stenting. An implanted AES (A, ×20, B: ×200) and PES (C, ×20, D: ×200) are shown. The neointimal area was larger in the AES artery than in the PES artery. AES: atorvastatin-eluting stent, PES: paclitaxel-eluting stent, NI: neointima.

• 

  FIG. 2 The Carstairs' fibrin stain of the low-power fields (magnitude, ×20, ×200) of fibrin infiltration in the AES (A, B) and PES (C, D) arteries. The black arrow indicates fibrin. Fibrin deposition surrounding the stent struts was greater with the PES than with the AES. AES: atorvastatin-eluting stent, PES: paclitaxel-eluting stent.

• 

  FIG. 3 Scanning electron microscopic images of bare metal stent (A: ×10, B: ×100, C: ×300), atorvastatin-eluting stent (D: ×10, E: ×100, F: ×300), and paclitaxel-eluting stent (G: ×10, H: ×100, I: ×300).

• 

  FIG. 4 In vitro release kinetics of atorvastatin-eluting stent (AES) and paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES).

• 

  FIG. 5 Injury score (A), internal elastic lamina (B), lumen area (C), neointimal area (D), % area stenosis (E) fibrin score (F) and inflammation score (G), in AES and PES group. AES: atorvastatin-eluting stent, PES: paclitaxel-eluting stent.

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