Abstract:Aim To observe the effect of probucol on the neointimal hyperplasia and the expression of collagen type Ⅰand c-myc mRNA after coronary angioplasty in a swine model. Methods 19 female New Yorkshire pigs were randomly assigned to receive 2 g/d of probucol or control therapy for 4 weeks before percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), then PTCA was undergone in all the pigs, probucol was continued until follow-up angiography 6 weeks after PTCA. Then the animals were killed and taken histopathologic examination, the intima area ratio was measured. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of collagen type Ⅰin the injured arteries. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was used to detect the expression of c-myc mRNA in the injured arteries. Results The injured arteries in the control group revealed marked eccentric neointima formation, the intima area ratio was more than that in the probucol group (56.0%±17.8% vs 30.3%±21.0%, p<0.05). The expression of collagen type Ⅰin the probucol group was lower than that in the control group (0.22±0.06 vs 0.41±0.06, p<0.05). The expression of c-myc mRNA in the control group was higher than that in the normal artery (2.73 ± 0.51 vs 0.82±0.09, p<0.05), and the injured artery of the probucol group had lower expression of c-myc mRNA (1.44±0.25) than the control group (p<0.05), but had higher expression than the normal artery (p<0.05). Conclusions Probucol decreased the neointimal hyperplasia after PTCA, the mechanism may relate to inhibiting the expressions of collagen type Ⅰand c-myc mRNA in the injured artery.