Objective To investigate the myocardial infarction (MI) model in rabbits created by occlusion of coronary artery by cardiac catheterization.
Methods The carotid arteries of 25 rabbits were isolated after general anesthesia, the carotid arteries were punctured, and 5F vascular sheaths were placed and fixed. The guiding catheter was sent from the vascular sheath to the sinus floor of the aortic root, and the microcatheter was sent into the middle or distal segment of the left anterior descending branch using a micro-guide wire, and gelatin sponge particles or coils were injected into the left anterior descending branch along the micro-catheter. The left anterior descending artery was occluded to create an MI model. One month later, the heart was taken out, and the area of MI was detected by pathology.
RESULTS: A total of 19 of 25 rabbits were successfully delivered to the left anterior descending branch with a micro-guide wire and a micro-catheter. There were 10 rabbits in the coil group, 7 rabbits were successfully produced with MI, and 2 died during feeding. Among the 9 rabbits in the gelatin sponge granule embolization group, 7 rabbits were successfully produced with MI, and 1 died during feeding. There was no significant difference in the success rate of MI and the area of MI between the two groups.
Conclusion The rabbit MI model can be prepared by cardiac catheterization, with a high success rate and stable MI characteristics, which can avoid thoracotomy injury, and is more in line with the pathological characteristics of clinical MI.