Thrombus organization and healing in the swine experimental aneurysm model. Part I. A histological and molecular analysis

Object The authors describe the process of thrombus organization in the swine surgical aneurysm model. Methods Lateral carotid artery aneurysms with immediately induced thrombosis were created in 31 swine for a time-course study. Aneurysms were evaluated at 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, and 90 days after they were created. Histological analyses included quantitative immunohistochemical studies and evaluation of collagen deposition. Complementary DNA microarray analysis was performed for gene expression profiling. The lists of up- and downregulated genes were cross-matched with lists of genes known to be associated with cytokines or the extracellular matrix. The expression of selected genes was quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Functional clustering was performed with the Expression Analysis Systematic Explorer (EASE) bioinformatics package. Results Histological analysis demonstrated leukocyte and macrophage infiltration in the thrombus at Day 3, myofibroblast infiltration at Days 7 to 14, and progr...