Establishment and evaluation of congestive heart failure models induced by chronic myocardial ischemia in minipigs

AIM:To establish an animal model of congestive heart failure (CHF) induced by chronic myocardial ischemia. METHODS: Eighteen minipigs were randomized to sham group (n=4) and model group (n=14). Thoracotomies were performed in both groups and the left anterior descending branches (LADs) were constricted by ameroid constrictors only in model group. Four weeks after surgery, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), echocardiography and hemodynamic measurements were performed, and serum concentrations of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and angiotensin II (AngII) were determined by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Sixteen animals survived the surgery and two animals in the model group died. SPECT showed severe perfusion defects in the LAD-dependent area in model group, whereas no obvious defects were observed in sham group. Echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters showed severe systolic and diastolic dysfunction of the hearts in model group in which the concentrations of BNP, markers of myocardial injury, inflammatory factors and neurohormonal factors increased. CONCLUSION: Implantation of ameroid constrictor in the initial segment of the LAD is an effective way to establish the model of CHF induced by chronic myocardial ischemia in minipigs.