Effects of curcumin for preventing restenosis in a hypercholesterolemic rabbit iliac artery stent model

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of the curcumin‐coating stent (CCS) on the inhibition of restenosis in a rabbit iliac artery stent model. Results: Curcumin, pigment naturally acquired from the rhizome of the plant curcuma longa, is known to have antiproliferative, antimigratory, and anti‐inflammatory effects. However, it is still unclear that curcumin can inhibit neointimal proliferation of the injured vessel. Methods: Dose‐dependent inhibition of cell growth was observed over a dose range from 10 nM to 10 μM. CCS was prepared by a dip‐coating method (high‐dose: HD, low‐dose: LD). The release profile of the HD CCS showed that drug release persisted until day 21. Scanning electron microscopy of the CCS showed an intact surface of the stent even after expansion. To test the efficacy of CCS in vivo, LD CCS, HD CCS, and bare metal stents (BMS) were implanted in random order in one iliac artery (N = 30 arteries) of male New Zealand White rabbits (N = 15). Results: After 28 days, the LD and HD CCS groups had a 43% and 55% reduction in the neointimal area, compared with the BMS group (BMS 3.3 ± 1.0 mm2, LD 1.9 ± 0.8 mm2, and HD 0.9 ± 0.5 mm2, P < 0.05). There appeared to be no cytotoxicity related to curcumin at the indicated doses. Conclusions: Curcumin, a natural compound in the human diet, seems to be a safe and effective candidate drug for use in a drug‐eluting stent for the prevention of stent restenosis following angioplasty. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.