A new renal artery atherosclerosis mini pig model suitable for interventional studies / 中华肾脏病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To establish a mini pig model suitable for interventional studies in vivo. Methods The endothelia of unilateral renal arteries in 8 purebred Chinese experimental mini pigs(CEMP)was denuded by inflated balloons after the animals were fed with high cholesterol diet for 13 weeks.The CEMP were fed with h high cholesterol diet continuously till the 40th week.The levels of blood lipid panel and creatinine were tested at week 1,14 and 40.Bilateral renal arteries were examined with intravascular uhrasonography at week 14 and 40.The vessel samples were collected at week 40 and stained with haematoxylin-eosin,Masson trichrome technique, oil O and anti-macrophage immunohistological technique. Results Significant differences of blood lipid panel and creatinine were found between week 1 and week 40.Focal ischemic renal injury could be observed pathologically.Renal arteries of CEMP were suitable for interventional procedure such as angiography and intravascular ultrasonography.Cross-sectional information of vessels could be provided clearly by intravascular ultrasonography and the intimamedian thickness of injured renal arteries was much thicker than that of non-injured ones[(0.89±0.03)mm vs (0.30±0.02)mm,P＜0.05]as evidenced by this diagnostic technique.Pathological findings demonstrated the atheroselerotic profiles of the injured renal arteries.Fibrous and fibro-fatty plaques were the main pathologic types in this CEMP model. Conclusions An animal model with renal arterial atherosclerosis mimicking the progression of atheroselerotic renovaseular disease,which is suitable for interventional procedure is established successfully.Intravascular ultasonography may have potential clinical prospect on the evaluation of atherosclerotic renovaseular disease.