title: Comparison of two preclinical myocardial infarct models: coronary coil deployment versus surgical ligation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite recent advances, myocardial infarction (MI) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Pre-clinical animal models that closely mimic human MI are pivotal for a quick translation of research and swine have similarities in anatomy and physiology. Here, we compared coronary surgical ligation versus coil embolization MI models in swine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen animals were randomly distributed to undergo surgical ligation (n=7) or coil embolization (n=8). We evaluated infarct size, scar fibrosis, inflammation, myocardial vascularization, and cardiac function by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five days after MI, there were no differences between the models in infarct size (P=0.53), left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (P=0.19), LV end systolic volume (P=0.22), LV end diastolic volume (P=0.84), and cardiac output (P=0.89). Histologically, cardiac scars did not differ and the collagen content, collagen type I (I), collagen type III (III), and the I/III ratio were similar in both groups. Inflammation was assessed using specific anti-CD3 and anti-CD25 antibodies. There was similar activation of inflammation throughout the heart after coil embolization (P=0.78); while, there were more activated lymphocytes in the infarcted myocardium in the surgical occlusion model (P=0.02). Less myocardial vascularization in the infarction areas compared with the border and remote zones only in coil embolization animals was observed (P=0.004 and P=0.014, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support that surgical occlusion and coil embolization MI models generate similar infarct size, cardiac function impairment, and myocardial fibrosis; although, inflammation and myocardial vascularization levels were closer to those found in humans when coil embolization was performed.
authors.affiliation: ICREC (Heart Failure and Cardiac Regeneration) Research Program, IGTP, Cardiology Service, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Crta, Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain. cgalvezmonton@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gálvez-Montón
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prat-Vidal
authors.forename: Idoia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Díaz-Güemes
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Crisóstomo
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soler-Botija
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roura
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Llucià-Valldeperas
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Perea-Gil
authors.forename: Francisco M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Margallo
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayes-Genis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D013552:Swine