Development of a swine model for benign stenosis of the bile duct by endoscopic application of intraluminal thermal injury.
BACKGROUND
A simple animal model is desirable for the study of endoscopic therapies used in the management of biliary strictures. The aim of this study was to identify a method for inducing benign biliary stenoses in a porcine model by using endoscopic techniques.


METHODS
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography was performed in 9 swine. Intraluminal injury was applied to the common hepatic duct with graded applications of either a heat probe or a multipolar probe. Cholangiography was repeated at 7-day intervals. If a stricture was not identified by 28 days, injury was created at another site in the common hepatic duct by using a higher energy dose. After a stricture was identified, the animal was killed and bile duct samples were obtained for histopathologic evaluation.


RESULTS
Thirteen thermal injuries were created in the 9 animals. Six of 7 heat probe treatments and 1 of 6 multipolar probe treatments resulted in a stricture (p = 0.025, Fisher exact test). Applications of the heat probe at 10 or 15 J produced a stricture in 6 of 6 cases. All strictures were indistinguishable histopathologically from benign strictures in humans.


CONCLUSIONS
The application of intraluminal thermal injury with a heat probe results in a reproducible animal model of benign biliary stenosis.
Rumalla
Ashwin
A
Developmental Endoscopy Unit, Division of Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Petersen
Bret T
BT
Baron
Todd H
TH
Burgart
Lawrence J
LJ
Herman
Lori J
LJ
Wiersema
Maurits J
MJ
Gostout
Christopher J
CJ
D000818:Animals; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D013552:Swine