Paclitaxel-coated Gianturco–Roubin® II (GR®II) stents reduce neointimal hyperplasia in a porcine coronary in-stent restenosis model

BACKGROUNDDrug-coated stents may treat both mechanisms of restenosis, namely, geometric remodeling and neointimal hyperplasia. Paclitaxel, an antimicrotubule agent, has been shown to inhibit smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, and may be an excellent candidate for local elution from a stent platform. METHODSTo study the antirestenosis effects of drug-coated stents, we impregnated paclitaxel (175–200 μg/stent with programmed elution over 6 months) on Gianturco–Roubin® II (GR®II) stents. These stents and control stents without drugs were implanted in porcine coronary arteries (stent/artery approx. 1.1) and evaluated 4 weeks later. RESULTSThe vessel size and the stent-to-artery ratio were similar between the groups. However, at 4 weeks, the paclitaxel group had significantly reduced in-stent restenosis compared with the controls (51 ± 27 versus 27 ± 27% diameter stenosis, P