title: Preclinical modeling and multimodality imaging of chronic myocardial infarction in minipigs induced by novel interventional embolization technique.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was designed to establish a chronic myocardial infarction (MI) model in minipigs with a novel coronary sequential balloons-sponge embolism technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen healthy minipigs (25-30 kg) were randomly divided into three groups for left anterior descending artery (LAD) occlusion: conventional balloon occlusion group (BO group, temporary balloon occlusion for 60 mins), half-balloon embolism group (HB group), and sequential balloon-balloon-sponge embolism group (BBS group, two half-balloons with one sponge as the embolism clot). The incidence of ventricular fibrillation (VF), total mortality, operating time, and vascular recanalization 3 months post-MI was recorded and compared. Echocardiography, multimodality nuclear medical imaging, and histology staining were applied for the evaluation of infarction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen out of 18 minipigs survived after the operation, while 5 animals died with VF (3 in the BO group, 1 in the HB group, and 1 in the BBS group), with an 83.3 % (5/6 minipigs) acute procedural survival rate in embolism groups. The operating duration was 60.0 ± 0.5 mins, 21.4 ± 5.2 mins, and 31.2 ± 4.7 mins in the three groups, respectively. LAD recanalization was found in three animals of the HB group but none in the BBS group by angiography follow-up. The infarct sizes were more stable and larger in the HB group and BBS group than that in the BO group (P < 0.05, n = 13).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The method of sequential balloons-sponge embolization could induce myocardial infarction with consistent and sustained embolization and gain higher operation success rate and better repeatability in minipigs, which holds a promising method for preclinical MI study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Fuxing Street 28#, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853, China.|Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
authors.forename: Haokao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
authors.forename: Minwen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
authors.forename: Zhonghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
authors.forename: Liwen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
authors.forename: Daliang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
authors.forename: Sai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
authors.forename: Zhenli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Fuxing Street 28#, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Fuxing Street 28#, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853, China.
authors.forename: Yabin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Fuxing Street 28#, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853, China. wind8828@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cao
keywords: Balloon; Myocardial infarction; Percutaneous coronary artery embolization; Pig model; Sponge