Successfully and quikly establishing atherosclerosis models of stenosis in the obdominal aorta in rabbits

Objective To establish models of atherosclerosis and stenosis of rabbits, and evaluate the degree of stenosis by angiography.Methods The experiment was carried out in the laboratory of Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February to May 2003.Twenty male New Zealand rabbits aged 4 months were fed with a standard diet in separate cages for 1 week without inhibiting drinking. Twenty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into high-fat diet and high-fat diet combined with arterial injury groups with 10 animals in each group.One week later, all the rabbits were fed with cholesterol-supplemented diet (1.5% cholesterol) and rabbits of high-fat diet combined with arterial injury groups were subject to balloon catheter injury of the abdominal aorta by puncturing into femoral artery after 3 days of cholesterol-fed. Rabbits were continuing fed with cholesterol-rich diet after the operation. Angiography were used to record the degree of stenosis of the abdominal aorta at the 9th week after operation.Results All the 20 rabbits entered the result analysis. ①After 9 weeks,the levels of TC,TG,HDL,LDL were increased,which was more obviously in the high-fat diet combined with arterial injury groups. ② Stenosis of abdominal aorta was observed at the 9th week by angiography and the rate of stenosis was 50%~70% [(57.000±7.888)%] and it was 8~23 mm in length. Conclusion The animal model of stenosis can be successfully established in a short time by balloon endothelial denudation of abdominal aorta combined with cholesterol-fed. Angiography can accurately measure the degree of stenosis of the abdominal aorta.