Evaluation of Coronary Stents in the Animal Model: A Review

Metallic vascular endoprotheses (stents) have been introduced clinically to help to retain or to restore a patent vascular lumen after balloon angioplasty and to improve long‐term patency of vessels. Despite the widespread use of intracoronary stents, instent restenosis remains a major clinical problem. During the last years considerable research effort had been spent on the understanding of the pathophysiology of restenosis and developing strategies to prevent this major shortcoming of PTCA and stent implantation. The current review focuses in its first part on basic pathophysiological mechanisms, which are involved in the formation of restenosis after ballon angioplasty and stent implantation. In the second part different animal models are presented, which serve as experimental models for examining these processes and testing strategies for the prevention of restenosis. Advantages and disadvantages of each model will be discussed, which are important when transferring results from animal models to clinical practice.