Effects of Hypercholesterolemia on Healing of Vascular Grafts

Small-diameter vascular grafts woven from bioresorbable lactide/glycolide copolymers have been successfully interposed into aortas of normal NZW rabbits. The current study examines the histologic and functional reactions to these bioresorbable grafts in severely hypercholesterolemic rabbits, a standard animal model of atherosclerosis. Sixty rabbits were placed on a 2% cholesterol, 6% peanut oil atherogenic diet. Baseline serum cholesterols and triglycerides were measured and repeated at operation 3 months later. Woven polyglactin 910 (PG910) grafts were interposed into infrarenal aortas. Fifty-two rabbits died on the diet or within 3 days of surgery and eight survived operation (normal NZW rabbit operative mortality is < 10%). Cholesterol levels rose from 63 to 1989, p