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Verapamil reduces intimal hyperplasia in a sheep carotid artery patch graft model
P Y Ao1, W J Hawthorne, M Vicaretti
1Department of Surgery, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, New South Wales, Australia.
Background:
The current study investigated the effect of verapamil on the development of intimal hyperplasia (IH) using a sheep model.
Methods:
A gelatin-sealed Dacron patch graft was implanted into the left common carotid artery in 40 adult Merino sheep. Sheep were then randomly allocated to four groups. Group 1 were controls given no treatment (n = 10). Groups 2-4 were treated with intravenous verapamil 0.5 mg/kg per day in two divided doses for different lengths of time. Group 2 (n = 10) received treatment for 1 week; group 3 (n = 10) received treatment for 2 weeks and group 4 (n = 10) received treatment for 4 weeks. All sheep were killed at 4 weeks and the grafted segments of artery were harvested for IH assessment by an image analysis system.
Results:
The IH index from the three groups treated with verapamil was significantly less than that of the control (group 1,0.287+/-0.077: group 2,0.205+/-0.064, P<0.05; group 3, 0.193+/-0.059, P<0.01; group 4,0.171+/-0.046, P<0.01).
Conclusion:
The present study suggests that verapamil inhibits the development of IH even when treatment is given for only 1 week.