The Establishment and Evaluation of an Atherosclerotic Vulnerable Plaque Model Involving New Zealand Rabbits

This study aims to explore the feasibility of a new combined method of constructing an unstable atherosclerotic plaque model in the abdominal aorta of New Zealand rabbits. The experimental New Zealand rabbits were fed adaptively for one week before being punctured through the abdominal aorta with a balloon to injure the intima. Vitamin D (1.5 mL/kg) was administered one week after the surgical model was completed. Following injection, the animals were fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks. Highresolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) and a histology-based method were used to examine the abdominal aortic lesions. The overall mortality rate of the New Zealand rabbit model of unstable atherosclerotic plaque was 17%. The MRIs indicated that the abdominal aorta in the experimental group was eccentrically thickened, while the vascular wall of the abdominal aorta in the control group exhibited no abnormality. The intima of the abdominal aorta in the experimental group showed pathological manifestations of unstable atherosclerotic plaque, while that in the control group exhibited no abnormality. This method of modelling is simple to conduct, has a high success rate and requires a short duration, making it an effective animal model of unstable atherosclerotic plaque.