iffuse, long coronary lesions are associated with an increased rate of restenosis and poor outcome, despite the development of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) techniques. [1][2][3] In particular, the implantation of multiple, overlapping, bare metal stents (BMS) has a high restenosis rate. 4,5 Use of drug-eluting stents (DES) results in a significant and sustained suppression of neointimal proliferation, and has greatly attenuated the relationship between stent length and restenosis rate. As a result, a long DES is usually selected for a diffuse coronary lesion, but if a residual segment of the lesion is left uncovered, additional stenting with some overlap is considered to eliminate the risk of a residual stent gap.Thus in the case of a diffuse, long coronary lesion, overlapping DES are used for complete lesion coverage, but there has been concern whether the overlapping DES have the effect of increasing the local drug dose or whether they Circulation Journal Vol.72, March 2008 could result in dose-related side-effects, such as delayed arterial healing and promotion of inflammation, as compared with overlapping BMS. 6 Few histopathological studies have been done on the response to overlapping DES or BMS, and even less so for the overlapping of different DES, such as the sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) or pacletaxel-eluting stent (PES). Therefore, the present study assessed the histopathological response and the effect on neointimal hyperplasia of overlapping DES or BMS in a porcine model of coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR).
Methods
Animal Study ProtocolThe animal study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Chonnam National University Hospital. Study animals were female swine weighing 25-35 kg. To decrease the incidence of acute thrombosis after stenting, premedication with aspirin 100 mg and clopidogrel 75 mg/day was given for 7 days before the procedure. On the day of stent implantation, pigs were anesthetized with ketamine (20 mg/kg intramuscularly) and xylazine (2 mg/kg intramuscularly) and maintained on 3 L/min of supplemental oxygen continuously through a mask. After subcutaneous 2% lidocaine was administered at the cut-down site the left carotid artery was surgically exposed, and a 7F sheath was inserted. Continuous hemodynamic and surface electrocardiographic monitoring was maintained throughout the procedure. After 10,000 units of heparin were administered intravenously as a bolus