Lumen gain and restoration of pulsatility after implantation of a bioresorbable vascular scaffold in porcine coronary arteries.

Objectives: Using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and histomorphometry, this study sought to evaluate the potential of nonatherosclerotic porcine coronary arteries to undergo progressive lumen gain and a return of pulsatility after implantation with an everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS).

Background: Unique benefits such as lumen gain and restored vasomotion have been demonstrated clinically after treatment with BVS; however, a more rigorous demonstration of these benefits with a randomized clinical trial has not yet been conducted.

Methods: Seventy nonatherosclerotic swine received 109 everolimus-eluting BVS and 70 everolimus-eluting metal stents randomized among the main coronary arteries.

Leukemia inhibitory factor is upregulated in coronary arteries of Ossabaw miniature swine after stent placement.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), an IL-6 class cytokine, is reported to be antiatherosclerotic. Thus, we hypothesized that LIF expression might be altered during in-stent neointimal hyperplasia. Ossabaw miniature swine, a unique large-animal model of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, were used for these studies.