Aim Restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty was one of the main clinic problems at present. A successful restenosis animal model was essential for its solution. So the rat and rabbit carotid restenosis models were built and compared to select more practical ones. Methods Balloon catheter was used to injure one of rats’ and rabbits’carotids. One week later the treated carotids were cutted, sliced and HE stained. Rat carotid well cells were cultured in vitro and analysed with α-actin immunohistochemistry. Results The main histopathologic changes of rabbit carotids after balloon injury were smooth muscle transfer and blood cells adheration. While the main change of rat’s was cell proliferation,and α-actin immunohistochemistry analysis confirmed the cell was smooth muscle cell. Conclusions Rat restenosis model was more practical for study of smooth muscle cell proliferation associated diseases,such as restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.