Endovascular model of abdominal aortic aneurysm induction in swine

Abdominal aortic aneurysms are among the main causes of death. The high morbidity and mortality associated with aneurysm rupture and repair represents a challenge for surgeons and high risk for patients. Although experimental models are useful to understand, train, and develop new treatment and diagnostic methods for this pathology, animal models developed to date are far from ideal. Animals are either too small and do not represent the pathology of humans, or the procedures employ laparotomy, or the aortic behavior does not resemble that of a true aneurysm. We developed a novel, less invasive and effective method to induce true aortic aneurysms in Large White pigs. Animals were submitted to an endovascular chemical induction using either calcium chloride (25%) or swine pancreatic elastase. Controls were exposed to saline solution. All animals were operated on using the same surgical technique under general anesthesia. They were followed weekly with ultrasound examinations and at 4 weeks the aorta was harvested. Although elastase induced only arterial dilation, imaging, histological, and biomechanical studies of the aorta revealed the formation of true aneurysms in animals exposed to calcium chloride. Aneurysms in the latter group had biomechanical failure properties similar to those of human aneurysms. These findings indicate that the endovascular approach is viable and does not cause retroperitoneal fibrosis.