[Establishing an animal model for carotid artery stenosis in rabbits].
OBJECTIVE
To establish an animal model for carotid artery stenosis in rabbits.


METHODS
Forty New Zealand White rabbits were randomly divided into two groups, for 4-week and 8-week experiment, respectively. All rabbits were fed with a diet with 1.5% cholesterol for one week before the experiment started. The right common carotid arteries (RCCA) of the rabbits were then injured with nitrogen gas (100 mL/min x 5 min), with the left common carotid arteries (LCCA) serving as a control (self control). An additional 5 rabbits were fed with high cholesterol diet only without exposure to nitrogen gas (control group). Angiography and pathology tests were performed to evaluate the stenosis of carotid arteries.


RESULTS
Four weeks after exposure to nitrogen gas, early atheromatosis appeared, with lesions showing fatty streak and fibrous plaque, and thickened focal arterial walls. The lumens showed light-stenosis. The angiography showed 20%-30% artery stenosis. Eight weeks after exposure to nitrogen gas, the lesions proceeded to mature fibrous plaque or atheromatous plaque stages, with entire arterial walls thickened and remarkable lumens stenosis. The angiography showed 60% -80% artery stenosis, and two arteries were totally occluded. No artherosclerosis and stenosis were seen in the self control arteries and control groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The animal model for carotid artery stenosis can be effectively established in rabbits with nitrogen gas injury along with high cholesterol-feeding.
Shen
Chang-Yin
CY
Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, China.
Shi
Bei
B
Zhao
Ran-Zun
RZ
Xu
Guan-Xue
GX
Wang
Dong-Mei
DM
Zhou
Zhi-Wen
ZW
D000818:Animals; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000209:etiology; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D009584:Nitrogen