title: Aortic response to balloon injury in obese Zucker rats.
abstract: The small diameter of the carotid artery is not compatible with the evaluation of clinically available endovascular devices in the carotid balloon-injury (BI) model. We developed an endovascular BI model in the rat descending aorta, whose size is compatible with available endovascular  instruments. We also tested the hypothesis that neointima formation is enhanced in the aorta of obese Zucker rats (OZR) compared with lean Zucker rats (LZR). Left external carotid arteriotomies and BI of the thoracic and abdominal aorta were performed by using a balloon catheter. Aortograms  and aortic pathology were examined at 2, 4, and 10 wk after BI. At 10 wk after BI, the abdominal aorta in OZR had narrowed 8.3% ± 1.1% relative to baseline compared with an expansion of 2.4% ± 2.2% in LZR. Simultaneously, the thoracic aorta had expanded 9.5% ± 4.3% in  LZR compared with stenosis of 2.8% ± 1.6% in OZR. Calculation of the intimal:medial thickness ratio revealed significantly increased neointimal formation in the OZR descending aorta compared with that in LNR. In conclusion, this minimally invasive BI model involving the rat descending  aorta is compatible with available endovascular instruments. The descending aorta of OZR demonstrates enhanced neointimal formation and constrictive vascular remodeling after BI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA. lorozco-castillo@umc.edu
authors.forename: Ludwig D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Orozco
authors.forename: Huiling
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Betty B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Razvan F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Buciuc
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fratkin
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pisarello
authors.forename: Eddie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perkins
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000792:Angiography; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D058426:Neointima / Q000473:pathology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D013997:Time Factors