Bjgl. Desmet et al., THE RELATION BETWEEN DE-NOVO ATHEROSCLEROSIS REMODELING AND ANGIOPLASTY-INDUCED REMODELING IN AN ATHEROSCLEROTIC YUCATAN MICROPIG MODEL, Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology, 18(5), 1998, pp. 702-707
Geometric remodeling in de novo atherosclerosis and in restenosis afte
r balloon angioplasty constitutes a change in total arterial circumfer
ence that, together with plaque growth or neointima formation, determi
nes the lumen of the artery. The heterogeneous nature of arterial obst
ructions raises the question of whether early and late outcomes (reste
nosis) of angioplasty are affected by the degree and direction of de n
ovo atherosclerotic remodeling. This study was designed to assess the
relationship between atherosclerotic remodeling and the degree and mec
hanism of restenosis after balloon angioplasty. Atherosclerosis was in
duced in 27 peripheral arteries of 18 Yucatan micropigs by a combinati
on of denudation and atherogenic diet, Balloon angioplasty was perform
ed, with serial intravascular ultrasound and quantitative angiography
before and after intervention and at 42 days' follow-up. We used the r
elative media-bounded area (MBA), defined as the MBA. of the treated s
ite divided by the MBA of the reference, before angioplasty as a measu
re of remodeling in de novo atherosclerosis and late MBA loss as a mea
sure of remodeling after balloon angioplasty, Relative MBA before angi
oplasty was not correlated with angiographic and echographic acute gai
n after balloon angioplasty (r=.22, P=.28 and r=.14, P=.48) or with la
te lumen loss (r=-.05, P=.81 and r=.19, P=.33). No correlation was fou
nd between relative MBA and late MBA loss (r=.14 and P=.48). In the at
herosclerotic Yucatan micropig, remodeling during de novo atherosclero
sis has no relevance for acute gain and late lumen loss after balloon
angioplasty. Both the direction and the extent of remodeling after bal
loon angioplasty are not related to the direction and extent of remode
ling during de novo atherosclerosis.