Comparative effectiveness of intravascular stents in resisting arterial vasoconstriction: evaluation with use of intact elastic (rabbit aorta) and muscular (dog carotid) arteries in an ex vivo model.
OBJECTIVE
The ability of three different intravascular stents (Gianturco-Roubin, Palmaz-Schatz, and CV Rad), and two different metals (stainless steel and tantalum) to resist vasoconstriction was evaluated in an intact artery ex vivo model.


METHODS
Stents were deployed in 21 rabbit thoracic aortae and five dog carotid arteries, which were constricted with phenylephrine and serotonin, respectively. Vasoconstriction was measured with the use of high-frequency ultrasonic imaging.


RESULTS
The maximal vasoconstriction of the control segment was 37.7% +/- 2.6 with rabbit aortae and 36.3% +/- 4.1 with dog carotid arteries, while the average maximal constriction for all segments in which stents were placed was 5.7% +/- 1.1 (P < .01). The maximal constriction of the Gianturco-Roubin stainless steel stent was 9.4% +/- 2.7 versus 7.9% +/- 1.6 with the tantalum version (P = .65). Both designs showed somewhat greater constriction compared with either the Palmaz-Schatz (3.3% +/- 0.9) or the CV Rad (1.4% +/- 1.1) stents.


CONCLUSIONS
Although all of the stents tested substantially resist arterial vasoconstrictive forces, the Palmaz-Schatz and CV Rad stents resist vasoconstriction to a greater degree than the Gianturco-Roubin stents. Tantalum and stainless steel stents of the same design (Gianturco-Roubin) appear similar in their ability to resist vasoconstrictive forces.
Saltiel
F S
FS
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Standford University School of Medicine, USA.
Grant
G
G
Dake
M D
MD
Fischell
T A
TA
D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004867:Equipment Design; D008422:Materials Testing; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D018583:Pliability; D011817:Rabbits; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012701:Serotonin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D013193:Stainless Steel; D015607:Stents; D013635:Tantalum; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014661:Vasoconstriction
D013193:Stainless Steel; D010656:Phenylephrine; D012701:Serotonin; D013635:Tantalum