Surgical methodology for the procedure of aortic balloon injury (ABI) in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) : a technical guide for untrained research workers

First performed clinically by Andreas Gruntzig in 1977, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, or put simply dilatation of a stenotic artery, is in current times a commonly used non-surgical method for the treatment of arteries obstructed by atherosclerotic plaques. Experimentally, balloon embolectomy catheters have been commonly used in many research studies and in many species (rats, guinea-pigs, rabbits, swine, non-human primates) to induce initial vessel wall injury which subsequently leads to intimal hyperplasia and thus provides an animal model of vascular disease (early and recent selected studies include, in rats: Margic, 1985; Clowes et al, 1991; Ishizaka et al, 1995; in rabbits: Moore et al, 1982; Clozel et al, 1991; Origuchi et al, 1997; Tashiro et al, 1998; Ghigliotti et al, 2001; Kunihara et al, 2002; in swine: Scott et al, 1979; Fritz et al, 1980; Voisard et al, 1995 and 2002; in guinea-pigs: Clozel et al, 1991 and 1994; in non-human primates: Hanson et al, 1991; Kobayashi et al, 1993; Geary et al, 1995; Ruef et al, 1997; Deitch et al, 1998; Wu et al, 2000; Du Toit et al, 2001; and Usui et al, 2002).