Healing Characteristics of Intraarterial Stent Grafts in an Injured Artery Model

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= 10) or CG (n= 10) placement in the infrarenal aorta after balloon injury with harvest at 1 and 6 weeks. Endothelial repaving, intima-to-media height ratios (IMHR), and inflammatory stains were performed. Endothelial repaving was greater in 6-week SG compared to CG (51% ± 5.0 versus 10% ± 5.0, p≤ 0.05). IMHR was less in 6-week SG compared to CG at the proximal (1.22 ± 0.16 versus 1.82 ± 0.16, p≤ 0.05) and distal anastomosis (0.81 ± 0.25 versus 1.33 ± 0.25, p≤ 0.05). Smooth muscle cell (SMC) α-actin was greater in 1-week SG compared to CG at the distal anastomosis (121.5 ± 7.2 versus 94.0 ± 7.2, p≤ 0.05). Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was less in 6-week SG compared to CG at the proximal (5.6 ± 1.4 versus 9.4 ± 1.1, p≤ 0.05) and distal anastomosis (3.8 ± 0.6 versus 11.2 ± 1.1, p≤ 0.05). Macrophage CD-44 was less in 6-week SG compared to CG at the proximal (10.4 ± 1.6 versus 32.6 ± 3.6, p≤ 0.05) and distal anastomosis (8.6 ± 0.9 versus 35.6 ± 3.6, p≤ 0.05). Intraarterial SG placed after balloon injury exhibited significantly greater endothelialization and less intimal hyperplasia when compared to CG.