Assessment of stent strut endothelialization in iliac arteries of rabbits.

BACKGROUND Fast post-implantation stent endothelialization is desirable for theoretically reducing the possibility of stent thrombosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the extent of sirolimus-eluting stent strut endothelialization (delivered from the luminal and abluminal aspects or abluminal aspect only) in the iliac arteries of rabbits. METHODS The iliac arteries of 10 rabbits were implanted with four sirolimus-eluting stents in the luminal and abluminal aspects, three sirolimus-eluting stents in the abluminal aspect, six polymer-coated stents, and four uncoated stents. After four weeks, the rabbits were euthanized and scanning electron microscopy was performed to quantify the area of exposed stent strut as well as the percentage of endothelialization. RESULTS The area (mean ± SD) (mm(2)) of exposed uncoated stent struts, polymer-coated stents, sirulimus-eluting stent in the abluminal and luminal aspects and sirolimus-eluting stent in the abluminal aspect was 0.12 ± 0.08, 0.09 ± 0.12, 0.60 ± 0.67 and 0.05 ± 0.04, respectively (p = 0.120). The percentage of endothelialization (mean ± SD) (%) of uncoated stents, polymer-coated stents, sirolimus-eluting stents in the luminal and abluminal aspects and sirolimus-eluting stents in the abluminal aspect was 99 ± 01, 99 ± 0. 97 ± 03 and 99 ± 0, respectively (p = 0.133). CONCLUSION After four weeks of implantation in the iliac arteries of rabbits, both the sirolimus-eluting stents in the luminal plus abluminal aspects and those in the abluminal aspect only showed stent strut endothelialization rates similar to those of the other types of non-drug eluting stents.