Long-term effects of intracoronary beta-radiation in balloon- and stent-injured porcine coronary arteries.
BACKGROUND
The data on the long-term safety and efficacy of intracoronary beta-radiation in animal models are limited.


RESULTS
A total of 30 coronary arteries in 15 swine were subjected to balloon or stent injury followed by beta-radiation from a centered 32P source (2000 cGy to 1 mm beyond lumen surface) or a sham radiation procedure. The animals received aspirin for 6 months and ticlopidine for 30 days. Five of the 10 animals subjected to radiation died (at 5 days, 7 days, 3 months [n = 2], and 4 months) as a result of layered, occlusive thrombus at the intervention site (3 stent and 2 balloon injury sites). No deaths occurred in the control group. In the surviving animals, balloon-injured and irradiated vessels showed a trend toward larger lumens than controls (2.15 +/- 0.17 versus 1.80 +/- 0.08 mm2, P=0.06) and larger external elastic lamina areas (3.32 +/- 0.21 versus 2.62 +/- 0.10 mm2, P=0.003). In the stent-injured vessels from surviving animals, lumen, neointimal, and external elastic lamina areas were 3.58 +/- 0.33, 3.16 +/- 0.35, and 8.12 +/- 0.42 mm2 for irradiated vessel segments; these values were not different from those in controls (3.21 +/- 0.15, 2.84 +/- 0.27, and 7.76 +/- 0.28 mm2, respectively). Histologically, healing was complete in most survivors, although intramural fibrin and hemorrhage were occasionally seen.


CONCLUSIONS
In the long-term (6 month) porcine model of restenosis, the inhibition by intracoronary beta-radiotherapy of the neointimal formation that is known to be present at 1 month is not sustained. This lack of effect on neointimal formation after balloon and stent arterial injury is accompanied by subacute and late thrombosis that leads to cardiac death on a background of continuous aspirin but relatively brief ticlopidine treatment.
Kałuza
G L
GL
Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Raizner
A E
AE
Mazur
W
W
Schulz
D G
DG
Buergler
J M
JM
Fajardo
L F
LF
Tio
F O
FO
Ali
N M
NM
D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D001610:Beta Particles / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003328:Coronary Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D013995:Time; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D014654:Vascular Patency / Q000528:radiation effects