Objective   To establish a controllable wall shear stress (WSS) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) concentration polarization animal model to investigate the effects of these 2 factors on the formation of artherosclerosis (AS) in vivo.    Methods   The left common carotid arteries (LCCA) of rabbits  were ligated by a gel-silica pipe loop ligature with 3 different stenosis degree (30%

40% or 50%) to generate different blood flow environment on local blood vessel

while the right common carotid artery (RCCA) was performed as a sham operation control. After operation the animals were fed with 4 kinds of forages with different cholesterol concentration (0%

0.5%

1% or 1.5%) to form different level of LDL concentration polarization. Hemodynamics parameters of bilateral common carotid artery (CCA) were measured by color Doppler flow imaging at 8 weeks postoperatively

then the animals were killed to get bilateral CCA examples for pathological observation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).    Results   In the case with same stenosis degree

WSS of LCCA was increased with the augmentation of cholesterol concentration. In the case of same cholesterol concentration

WSS of LCCA in 40% stenosis degree group was the lowest. In the case of same sample

WSS of LCCA was higher than RCCA (P0.05). The observation of pathological section and SEM indicated there were atherosclerotic lesions in different extent in LCCA of all groups

but the lesions of 40% stenosis degree were most significant.    Conclusion   A controllable WSS and LDL concentration polarization model of CCA in rabbit is established successfully

and low WSS and LDL concentration polarization contribute to the formation and development of AS.