Safety and efficacy of bioabsorbable magnesium alloy stents in porcine coronary arteries.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of biobasorbable magnesium alloy stents in porcine coronary arteries. Bioabsorbable magnesium stents carry the potential to overcome the limitations posed by permanent metallic stents such as chronic inflammation, late stent thrombosis, prolonged antiplatelet therapy, and artifacts when imaged by multislice-computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.


METHODS
Magnesium alloy stents or stainless steel stents were randomly deployed in coronary arteries of domestic or minipigs. Domestic pigs were sacrificed at 3 days (n = 2) or 28 days, and minipigs at 3 months.


RESULTS
At 3 days, magnesium alloy stents were intact, but started to show signs of degradation by 28 days. There was no evidence of stent particle embolization, thrombosis, excess inflammation, or fibrin deposition. At 28 days and 3 months, neointimal area was significantly less in magnesium alloy stent segments (2.44 +/- 0.88 mm(2) and 1.16 +/- 0.19 mm(2)) as compared with the stainless steel stent segments (5.03 +/- 1.5 mm(2) and 1.72 +/- 0.68 mm(2), P < 0.001 and 0.02). Quantitative coronary analysis indicates that percentage area stenosis and percentage diameter stenosis in magnesium alloy stent segments improved significantly at 3 months as compared to 28 days. Despite decreased neointimal hyperplasia, lumen area of the magnesium alloy stented vessels did not improve significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
Magnesium alloy stents are safe and are associated with less neointima formation; however, reduced neointima did not result in larger lumen.
Waksman
Ron
R
Cardiovascular Research Institute, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA. ron.waksman@medstar.net
Pakala
Rajbabu
R
Kuchulakanti
Pramod K
PK
Baffour
Richard
R
Hellinga
David
D
Seabron
Rufus
R
Tio
Fermin O
FO
Wittchow
Eric
E
Hartwig
Sonja
S
Harder
Claus
C
Rohde
Roland
R
Heublein
Bernd
B
Andreae
Arnim
A
Waldmann
Karl-Heinz
KH
Haverich
Axel
A
D020341:Absorbable Implants; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000818:Animals; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017616:Magnesium Compounds; D015607:Stents; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
D017616:Magnesium Compounds