Experimental Study on Rabbit Atherosclerotic Plaque Rupture Model

To establish atherosclerotic animal model whose plaque could be evoked into rupture, male New Zealand white rabbits were fed with a high-cholesterol diet for 2 weeks, then underwent balloon-induced arterial wall injury, and fed with a high-cholesterol diet for 6 weeks and a regular diet for 8 weeks. Plaque rupture and thrombosis were triggered by injection of Russell's viper venom (0.12 mg/ kg, ip) and histamine (0.016 mg/kg, iv). The area of thrombosis on atherosclerotic aorta, morphological character of plaque rupture, levels of blood lipid and lipoproteins were determined by image analysis, electron and light microscope, chromatometry, respectively. The results showed that the surface area covered by thrombus was 0.9 ± 1.1 mm2 in normal group and 77.7 ± 53.8 mm2 in model group. Microscopy of arterial samples from model group showed obvious ulcers occurred and inflammatory cells infiltrated in shoulder area of plaque. Macrophages and lipid were rich in plaque. Content of cholesterol in abdominal aorta was 6.6 ±1.4 mg/g wet tissue in normal group and 24.2 ± 7.7 mg/g wet tissue in model group. Conclusions: This animal model mimicked atherosclerotic plaque rupture and thrombosis, and could be used in study on mechanism of plaque rupture and screening drugs of plaque stabiligation out relational compound.