EVALUATION OF INTIMAL HYPERPLASIA AND THROMBOSIS AFTER IMPLANTATION OF PLATELET GLYCOPROTEIN IIIa MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY-ELUTING STENT IN NEW ZEALAND WHITE RABBIT AORTA OR ILIAC ARTERIES

Since the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was first introduced into China in 1984, this procedure has become widely accepted as an important step in coronary revascularization. This study aims to evaluate intimal hyperplasia and thrombosis after implantation of platelet glycoprotein IIIa monoclonal antibody (mAb)-eluting stent in the New Zealand white rabbit abdominal aorta or iliac artery by comparing CT angiography and pathological experiments. The antibody-eluting stents were prepared by the passive absorption method. Arterial intima in the stented segment and 0.5 cm adjacent to the stented site were observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cross-sectional staining. Endothelialization and thrombosis on the stent surface were visualized by CT angiography and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction technique in animals surviving from 1 to 12 weeks. Compared to stainless steel stents, the surface of antibody-eluting stents was covered with a complete endothelial layer after four weeks. Both CT angiography and pathological results showed intimal hyperplasia (p < 0.05) after 12 weeks. Therefore, pathological methods are the goldern standard for evaluation of intimal hyperplasia while CT angiography has a higher specificity in demonstrating the intimal changes after stent implantation for 12 weeks. The mAb-eluting stent has the potential to prevent thrombosis formation due to the interaction of stent with blood, and decreases the stenosis ratio by inhibiting neointima proliferation.