AUTHOR=Hemetsberger Rayyan , Farhan Serdar , Lukovic Dominika , Zlabinger Katrin , Hajagos-Toth Judit , Bota Judit , Garcia-Garcia Hector M. , Ay Cihan , Samaha Eslam , Gaspar Robert , Garamvölgyi Rita , Huber Kurt , Gyöngyösi Mariann , Spannbauer Andreas 

TITLE=Peri-interventional Triple Therapy With Dabigatran Improves Vasomotion and Promotes Endothelialization in Porcine Coronary Stenting Model

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.690476

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2021.690476

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> We evaluated the short and long-term effect of peri-interventional dabigatran therapy on vasomotion, endothelialization, and neointimal formation in a porcine coronary artery stenting model.</p><p><bold>Background:</bold> Stenting of coronary arteries induces local inflammation, impairs vasomotion and delays endothelialization.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Twenty-eight animals underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug eluting stents. Sixteen pigs started dabigatran therapy 4 days prior to PCI and continued for 4 days post-stenting, while 12 animals served as controls. Post-stenting dual antiplatelet therapy (75 mg clopidogrel and 100 mg aspirin) was continued in both groups until termination. Immediately post-stenting and at day 3 optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed in all animals, followed by euthanasia of 8 dabigatran and 4 control animals. The remaining pigs (8 of each group) were followed up for 1 month, with control angiography and OCT. Tissue burden (degree of peri-strut structure—thrombus and/or fibrin) was evaluated. After euthanasia coronary arteries were harvested for <italic>in-vitro</italic> myometry and histology.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Thrombin generation was lower (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) and tissue burden (0.83 ± 0.98 vs. 3.0 ± 2.45; <italic>p</italic> = 0.031) was significantly decreased in dabigatran treated animals. After 3 days post-PCI endothelium-dependent vasodilation was significantly improved (77 ± 40% vs. 41 ± 31%, <italic>p</italic> = 0.02) in dabigatran animals. Neither quantitative angiography nor histomorphometry showed differences between the groups. Endothelialization was faster in the dabigatran group as compared with controls (<italic>p</italic> = 0.045).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Short-term peri-interventional triple therapy with dabigatran, aspirin, and clopidogrel led to an enhanced endothelium dependent vasodilation and faster endothelialization. However, neointimal formation 1-month after stent implantation was comparable between groups.</p>