A canine model of chronic ischemic heart failure

Preclinical large animal models of chronic heart failure (HF) are crucial to both understanding pathological remodeling and translating fundamental discoveries into novel therapeutics for HF. Canine models of ischemic cardiomyopathy are historically limited by either high early mortality or failure to develop chronic heart failure. Twenty-nine healthy adult dogs (30 ± 4 kg, 15/29 male) underwent thoracotomy followed by one of three types of left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery ligation procedures: group 1 (n = 4) (simple LAD: proximal and distal LAD ligation); group 2 (n = 14) (simple LAD plus lateral wall including ligation of the distal first diagonal and proximal first obtuse marginal); and group 3 (n = 11) (total LAD devascularization or TLD: simple LAD plus ligation of proximal LAD branches to both the right and left ventricles). Dogs were followed until chronic severe HF developed defined as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40% and NH₂-terminal-prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) > 900 pmol/L. Overall early survival (48-h postligation) in 29 dogs was 83% and the survival rate at postligation 5 wk was 69%. Groups 1 and 2 had 100% and 71% early survival, respectively, yet only a 50% success rate of developing chronic HF. Group 3 had excellent survival at postligation 48 h (91%) and a 100% success in the development of chronic ischemic HF. The TLD approach, which limits full LAD and collateral flow to its perfusion bed, provides excellent early survival and reliable development of chronic ischemic HF in canine hearts.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The novel total left anterior descending devascularization (TLD) approach in a canine ischemic heart failure model limits collateral flow in the ischemic zone and provides excellent early survival and repeatable development of chronic ischemic heart failure in the canine heart. This work provides a consistent large animal model for investigating heart failure mechanisms and testing novel therapeutics.