title: A pilot study of uterine artery embolization with tris-acryl gelatin microspheres in guinea pigs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to establish guinea pigs as an animal model for uterine artery embolization (UAE) with tris-acryl gelatin microspheres (TAGM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five female adult guinea pigs were randomly divided into two groups, including a uterine artery casting mould group (n=10) and a UAE group (n=15). Pelvic angiography and vascular casting mould were performed in the first group. The anatomical characters of the pelvic cavity in guinea pigs were described. In the second group, the technical feasibility of performing UAE with TAGM in guinea pigs was investigated. The histopathological slides of the uterus of guinea pigs after UAE were examined to inspect the outcomes of UAE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The uterine artery springs from the internal iliac artery, ascends tortuously along the cervix, and gives off vertically 8-10 branches to the cervix uteri and uterine horns. The diameters of the trunk of the uterine artery and its first branch were 0.32±0.027 mm and 0.14±0.01 mm, respectively. For UAE animals, the dosages of 40-120 and 100-300 μm TAGM were 0.033±0.003 ml and 0.015±0.002 ml, respectively. On histopathological slides, embosphere particles were found in the first branches of the uterine artery, the subserous arteries, and the intramural arteries. Inflammatory reactions in the uterus were common in guinea pigs after UAE. Local or dispersed areas of necrosis in uterus also were observed in a few guinea pigs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Guinea pigs are an appropriate and feasible model for UAE with TAGM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Quan
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Guo-Sheng
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Wen-Bo
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jian-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005780:Gelatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000628:therapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055357:Uterine Artery Embolization / Q000379:methods*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; C496735:trisacryl gelatin microspheres; D005780:Gelatin