[Animal modeling] - establishment of carotid atherosclerosis model in rabbits by balloon injury and high-fat diet

  1. Animal modeling materials: Male Chinese large eared white rabbit, weighing 2.25-2.75kg; Medications: Granular feed containing 1.0% cholesterol and 6% lard, anesthetics, antibiotics; Instrument: Balloon catheter (2.5mm balloon).

  2. Modeling method: The model group was fed with pellet feed containing 1.0% cholesterol and 6% lard. One week later, carotid artery balloon injury surgery was performed, and high fat feed continued after surgery; The control group was given regular feed. All animals are fed in a single cage, with unlimited water intake and free feeding. Each animal eats 120g of feed per day for 8 weeks.

  Experimental animals fasted for 12 hours before surgery and couldn't help but water. Under intravenous anesthesia with 3% pentobarbital 30mg/kg, 200U/kg of heparin was administered from the ear vein. A skin incision of approximately 5.0cm was made along the middle of the neck, exposing and liberating the right common carotid artery of 3.0-4.0cm. The right internal and external carotid arteries were horizontally separated above the thyroid cartilage, and the proximal and internal carotid arteries were temporarily clamped with arterial clamps. Ligate the distal end of the external carotid artery, lift the proximal end with a thread, cut open the external carotid artery in a V-shaped shape at an angle of approximately 45 ° from the bifurcation point of the internal and external carotid arteries, and insert a balloon approximately 5.0cm in a retrograde manner. Connect a hand push pressure pump, inject heparin saline, inflate to 202.7 kPa, slowly pull back from the proximal end, repeat 3 times, and then withdraw the catheter. Ligate the proximal end of the right external carotid artery to restore blood flow to the right common and internal carotid arteries, suture the skin, and inject 800000 U of penicillin into the muscles daily for three consecutive days after surgery.

  3. Modeling principle High fat diet plus balloon injured carotid artery endothelium to establish carotid atherosclerosis model in rabbits.

  4. After modeling, it can be seen that after 8 weeks of high-fat feeding, the total cholesterol (TC) (27.7 ± 5.6) mmol/L, low-density lipoprotein C (LDL-C) (15.4 ± 3.2) mmol/L, triglycerides (TG) (2.58 ± 0.81) mmoL/L in the model group were higher than before the experiment [TC (1.59 ± 0.71) mmol/L, LDL-C (0.75 ± 0.26) mmol/L, TG (0.83 ± 0.20) mmol/L] and the control group [TC (1.6 ± 0.7) mmoL/L, LDL-C (0.83 ± 0.20) mmol/L]. L-C (0.77 ± 0.25) mmol/L, TG (0.84 ± 0.21) mmol/L] significantly increased. There was no statistically significant difference between the control group before and after the experiment.

  Pathological observation: ① Visual observation of the blood flow and pathological changes of the right common carotid artery in each group: The common carotid artery in the control group is soft and elastic in vivo, with a uniform pink color. After sampling, it can be seen that the inner lining of the lumen is relatively smooth. The model group showed typical atherosclerosis characteristics: under the living body, the appearance color was white or yellow white, the thickness was uneven, the arterial pulse could be felt, and the tube wall was significantly stiff. After sampling, thickening of the tube wall was observed, with white stripes or varying sizes of yellow-white plaques protruding from the inner membrane; ② Observation of HE staining under light microscope: intact carotid endothelial cells in the normal control group