Endovascular catheter-delivered photodynamic therapy in an experimental response to injury model.

Background: The effectiveness of local endovascular photodynamic therapy (PDT) in preventing tissue hyperplasia was evaluated in a vascular injury model.

Methods: Standardized unidirectional arterial injury with a directional atherectomy catheter was performed in porcine arteries (n = 180). Animals (n = 72) were randomly allocated to unidirectional injury only (Group 1), injury followed by drug delivery of photosensitizer with a porous balloon (Group 2), or by local exposure to monochromatic light (Group 3).