2005 Volume 69 Issue 1 Pages 101-106
Background The long-term clinical efficacy of intracoronary stenting is limited by restenosis and delivery by the stent of agents inhibiting cell cycle progression should prevent in-stent neointimal hyperplasia. Carvedilol is an antioxidant that inhibits smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, whereas probucol is a vascular protectant and reduces stent restenosis by improving the lumen dimension at the stent placement site. Methods and Results BiodivYsio® phosphorylcholine-coated stents were dip-coated with carvedilol (5 mg/ml) or probucol (50 mg/ml) by immersion in respective methanol solutions. Twenty-four stents (carvedilol =8, probucol =8, control =8) were placed in 12 pigs and histopathologic analysis was done 4 weeks later. Histomorphometry of the carvedilol-coated stent group compared with the control groups showed that the neointimal area decreased by 42% (1.12±0.55 mm2 in the carvedilol group vs 1.92