Tzafriri A, Vukmirovic N, Kolachalama V, Astafieve I, Edelman ER. Lesion complexity determines arterial drug distribution after local drug delivery.
Summary: Though stents are deployed in diseased arteries drug distribution has only been quantified in intact, non-diseased vessels. We correlated steady-state arterial drug distribution with tissue ultrastructure and composition in abdominal aortae from atherosclerotic human autopsy specimens and rabbits with lesions induced by dietary manipulation and controlled injury.
Local paclitaxel deposition scales inversely with lipid content in control (injury+normal diet, n=2) and diseased arteries (injury + cholesterol/oil diet+normal diet, n=2). Fluorescent paclitaxel (green) and lipid (inset, red) distribution in control artery (a) and in lesions of varying complexity (b)–(d)
Journal of Controlled Release 2010 Mar;142(3): 332-338.