Can the infusion of elastase in the abdominal aorta of the Yucatán miniature swine consistently produce experimental aneurysms?

The intraluminal elastase perfusion model has been proved to be potentially effective in producing abdominal aortic aneurysm in rodents, but it produced unpredictable results in larger animals. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential ability of such a model to produce experimental aneurysm consistently in the Yucatán miniature swine. Six Yucatán miniature swine received infusion with porcine elastase into an isolated segment of the infrarenal aorta. The excised arterial segments were examined macroscopically to assess the luminal surface characteristics and histologically to describe the different pathologic injuries induced by the elastase treatment on the intima, media, and adventitia of the arterial wall. Histologic examination revealed that the elastic network of the media was destroyed. In the first week after perfusion, altered smooth muscle cells were located in the intima and innermost layer of the media in juxtaposition with the occlusive thrombus. Infiltration of inflammatory cells was observed in these regions of elastic network and smooth muscle cell alterations. In the arterial segments of swine sustained for 3 weeks, a reduction of smooth muscle cells was noted in some areas. An important number of necrotic lesions was observed, and they were associated with the development of calcium deposits. Significant intimal hyperplasic reaction was identified at day 19 and again at day 21. However, no aneurysmal development was observed. This study constituted the first experiment with infusion of porcine elastase in the Yucatán miniature swine infrarenal aorta. The present experimental protocol induced important elastic network and smooth muscle cell alterations leading to severe necrotic lesions associated with calcium deposition, but it produced no aneurysmal dilatation. This model requires further testing to obtain a more complete degradation of the elastic network in both the media and adventitia and more significant collagenolysis without early thrombotic events.