Responses To Acetylcholine In Stented Target Vessel In Comparison To Non-Target Vessel In Patients After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Introduction: Several studies have reported the relationship between 1st generation drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation and coronary endothelial dysfunction (CED). However, no study has examined coronary responses to acetylcholine in stented target vessel (TV) in comparison to non-TV in each subject with 2nd generation DES. Methods: From 2011 to 2013, a total of 115 patients underwent coronary angiogram at 6 to 8 months after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation in one branch of the left coronary artery (LCA) (BMS: n=53, 2nd generation DES: n=60). We compared maximum coronary vasoconstriction to incremental doses of intracoronary acetylcholine (low 10 μg, middle 30 μg, and high 100 μg) in both stented TV and non-TV in LCA. Results: Acetylcholine-induced vasoconstriction was equivalent between TV and non-TV in patients treated with 2nd generation DES (45% vs. 44%, P=0.71 by paired T-test, Figure). Interestingly, acetylcholine-induced vasoconstriction in the TV was significantl...