Closed-chest experimental porcine model of acute myocardial infarction-reperfusion.
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 After 75 min the balloon catheter system was withdrawn and the presence of reperfusion flow was verified.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.
Pérez de Prado
Armando
A
Section of Interventional Cardiology, Cardiology Service, Hospital de León, Spain. aperez@secardiologia.es
Cuellas-Ramón
Carlos
C
Regueiro-Purriños
Marta
M
Gonzalo-Orden
J Manuel
JM
Pérez-Martínez
Claudia
C
Altónaga
José R
JR
García-Iglesias
M José
MJ
Orden-Recio
M Asunción
MA
García-Marín
Juan F
JF
Fernández-Vázquez
Felipe
F
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