Razzi F, Bobi J, Stijnen M, van Esch J H, Duncker D J, van Steijn V, van Beusekom H M M
Division of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Department, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences, TU Delft, Delft, Netherlands.
Front Cardiovasc Med. 2025 Jul 31;12:1565674. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2025.1565674. eCollection 2025.
vascular bioreactors that enable interventions in arteries from slaughterhouse surplus hearts present valuable alternatives to animal models to test cardiovascular stents. However, the knowledge for stent implantation during culture in slaughterhouse coronary arteries is limited. The objective of the study is two-fold: first, to determine culture settings, the time point and optimal conditions for in-culture stent implantation using surplus right coronary arteries (RCAs) from swine with known RCA diameters; and second, to implement the gained insights to culture and stent RCAs obtained from slaughterhouse hearts (unknown diameter).
Swine RCAs were mounted, cultured and stented in an vascular bioreactor (VABIO) under conditions of flow and pressure. The bioreactor culture and stenting protocols were optimized using a step wise approach. In Step 1, the RCAs dissected from in-house swine hearts, with known diameters, were cultured until endothelialized as the ideal time point for stenting, and the stent implantation procedure was optimized. In Step 2, the successful stent implantation procedure was repeated in slaughterhouse RCAs. Structural changes of the RCAs were assessed by ultrasound imaging during culture. The morphology of the RCAs at the end of culture was assessed by histology.
The RCAs adapted to the environment, stabilizing their diameter in the range of the diameter after day 3, which was selected as the earliest time point for stenting. Because stent implantations caused mural dissections in the RCAs, visible with ultrasound imaging and confirmed by histology, we developed an external support for the RCA. This was found to be critical for better physiological intravascular pressures and to minimize dissections upon stent implantation. Finally, the stent implantation procedure was successfully replicated in slaughterhouse arteries.
Our study demonstrates the feasibility of in-culture stent implantation in the VABIO, providing important requirements and useful insights for mimicking stent implantation, for future investigations in slaughterhouse arteries.
能够对屠宰场剩余心脏的动脉进行干预的血管生物反应器，为测试心血管支架的动物模型提供了有价值的替代方案。然而，关于在屠宰场冠状动脉培养过程中进行支架植入的知识有限。本研究的目的有两个：第一，确定使用已知右冠状动脉（RCA）直径的猪的剩余右冠状动脉进行培养内支架植入的培养设置、时间点和最佳条件；第二，将获得的见解应用于培养和植入从屠宰场心脏获得的RCA（直径未知）。
将猪RCA安装在血管生物反应器（VABIO）中，在流动和压力条件下进行培养和支架植入。采用逐步方法优化生物反应器培养和支架植入方案。在步骤1中，从内部猪心脏解剖出已知直径的RCA，培养至内皮化作为支架植入的理想时间点，并优化支架植入程序。在步骤2中，在屠宰场RCA中重复成功的支架植入程序。在培养过程中通过超声成像评估RCA的结构变化。培养结束时通过组织学评估RCA的形态。
RCA适应了环境，在第3天后其直径稳定在一定范围内，该时间点被选为最早的支架植入时间点。由于支架植入导致RCA出现壁内夹层，超声成像可见并经组织学证实，我们为RCA开发了外部支撑。发现这对于获得更好的生理血管内压力以及最小化支架植入时的夹层至关重要。最后，支架植入程序在屠宰场动脉中成功复制。
我们的研究证明了在VABIO中进行培养内支架植入的可行性，为模拟支架植入提供了重要要求和有用见解，以便未来对屠宰场动脉进行研究。
