Fig. 1.

Pig MI model, macroscopic features of the infarcted porcine heart and cardiac tissue sampling. a Coronary angiography before (left) and during (right) MI induction. Interventional LAD occlusion was performed by temporary (90 min) inflation of a coronary balloon (yellow arrows) distal from the first diagonal branch (yellow asterisk). b Explanted pig heart at 14 days post-MI. The pale infarct/scar region (yellow dashed line) can be clearly identified. c LV cross-section at 3 days post-MI with sampled regions and corresponding hematoxylin–eosin (H.E.)-stained microscopic overview images. Tissue samples were routinely collected from the infarct core (IC), both border zones (BZ), and the remote zone (RZ). Note the extensive hemorrhage in the infarct area and the localization of the border zones at its two edges, which can be more precisely delineated microscopically (BZ*). d Exemplary LV cross-sections at the indicated points in time (d = days) post-MI