title: Safety and efficacy of bioabsorbable magnesium alloy stents in porcine coronary arteries.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA. ron.waksman@medstar.net
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Waksman
authors.forename: Rajbabu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pakala
authors.forename: Pramod K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Kuchulakanti
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baffour
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hellinga
authors.forename: Rufus
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seabron
authors.forename: Fermin O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Tio
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wittchow
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hartwig
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harder
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Heublein
authors.forename: Arnim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andreae
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Waldmann
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haverich
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D017616:Magnesium Compounds