Change in argatroban concentration within the vessel wall after local administration using hydrogel-coated balloon catheter

Acute coronary occlusion after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty is one of the major problems in coronary intervention. This study evaluated the hydrogel-coated balloon delivery of argatroban to the arterial wall and argatroban persistence after angioplasty in 17 rabbits. A hydrogel- coated balloon was immersed three times in argatroban/saline solution (1 mg/ml) and inflated at 6 arm pressure for 1 min in the common carotid artery. The transfer of argatroban to the vascular wall was measured by high- performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of argatroban at 0, 5, and 15 min after deflation were 14.8, 4.2, and 3.9 nmole/g · wet weight. The hydrogel-coated balloon catheter can deliver argatroban to the local arterial wall during balloon inflation.