Vascular ultrastructure in atherosclerosis rats after carotid injury under an electron microscope

Hu Ping; Chen Yi; Sheng Jing

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2016.49.006

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Animal models of vascular restenosis used to be established in the normal vessels, and study on the healing results limits in the normal artery, not atherosclerosis;thereby, the model cannot accurately simulate the pathological process after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. <br> OBJECTIVE:To establish the common carotid catheter injury model in atherosclerosis rats and to study the pathogenesis of restenosis. <br> METHODS:The bal oon catheter injury was performed on the left common carotid artery of atherosclerosis rats with 2F bal oon catheter. The dynamic changes of neointimal and media hyperplasia were observed at different time points after surgery. Meanwhile, the ultrastructure of arterial wal was observed using transmission electron microscope. <br> RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The neointima formed at 7 days, and reached a peak at 3 months, vascular lumen was seriously narrow, and abundant smooth muscle proliferation could be found in the damaged artery wal . The smooth muscle cel s switched from contractile type to synthetic type at the beginning after injury, and most of cel s returned to contractile type final y. These findings indicate that 2.0 bal oon catheter can successful y establish the carotid injury model in atherosclerosis rats;neointima hyperplasia results in lumen stenosis after injury;furthermore, phenotype transformation, proliferation, and migration of smooth muscle cel s play an important role in the process of neointima hyperplasia.