title: Closed-chest experimental porcine model of acute myocardial infarction-reperfusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Progress in cardiovascular regenerative medicine research requires the availability of appropriate experimental animal models that are as close to humans as feasible. Our objective was to assess the validity of a porcine endovascular model of myocardial infarction and reperfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen domestic pigs (Large White race) were anesthetized and pre-medicated with amiodarone. Endovascular fluoroscopy-guided coronary procedures were performed to occlude the mid-left anterior descending artery using a coronary angioplasty balloon. Occlusion was confirmed by angiography and electrocardiography. After 75 min the balloon catheter system was withdrawn and the presence of reperfusion flow was verified. The animals were sacrificed after 1 and 2 weeks of follow-up, the hearts were explanted, and the extent of myocardial infarction with respect to the left ventricle was quantified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall survival rate was 67%. Five animals died prematurely: 3 showing signs of heart failure, 1 had reperfusion failure (final TIMI flow grade 1) and 1 succumbed to acute stress. The most common adverse event was ventricular fibrillation (87% of the animals) and defibrillation was effective in all affected animals. The extent of myocardial infarct in the animals followed-up for 1 and 2 weeks was similar (20.4+/-4.3% vs. 20.9+/-2.8%, respectively; p=0.8) but was significantly greater in the animals that died prematurely (29.5+/-3.6%, p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The endovascular porcine model we have explored constitutes a feasible and reproducible alternative for the evaluation of human myocardial infarction and reperfusion.
authors.affiliation: Section of Interventional Cardiology, Cardiology Service, Hospital de León, Spain. aperez@secardiologia.es
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pérez de Prado
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuellas-Ramón
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Regueiro-Purriños
authors.forename: J Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gonzalo-Orden
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez-Martínez
authors.forename: José R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Altónaga
authors.forename: M José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: García-Iglesias
authors.forename: M Asunción
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Orden-Recio
authors.forename: Juan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: García-Marín
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fernández-Vázquez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine