Vascular response to a third generation everolimus-eluting stent

Aims: In a non-injured porcine coronary artery model, the aim was to evaluate vascular compatibility of the novel platinum chromium everolimus-eluting PROMUS Element stent as compared to the following control stents: everolimus-eluting PROM US (XIENCE V), bare metal Element, and polymer-only Element. Methods and results: Stent pairs (n=228) evenly distributed among the four stent types were implanted in overlap configuration in 79 pigs at a targeted stent-to-artery ratio of 1.1:1. Similar numbers were explanted at each of 7, 30, 90, 180, and 270 days for pathological analysis. No stent-related mortality or morbidity was observed. There were no stent occlusions or strut fractures. The PROMUS Element was more radiopaque than PROMUS (relative densities 9.9 and 9.1, respectively) and demonstrated at all time points vascular compatibility similar to that of the control stents for endothelial cell coverage, inflammatory response, and neointima formation. At 30 days, parastrut fibrin was mild but greater (P < 0.0001) for the drug-eluting stents than either for the bare metal or the polymer-only Element; however, by 90 days the fibrin had dissipated. Conclusions: In the non-injured porcine coronary artery model, the PROMUS Element demonstrated vascular compatibility equivalent to PROMUS and the bare metal and polymer-only stents.