AIM To establish a model of vascular intima hyperplasia for study the restenosis after angioplasty. METHODS Carotid artery of rat was exposed under general anesthesia. Two pieces of steel slides(13 mm?5 mm?1 mm) were set on and under the carotid artery separately. Then the slides were squeezed by two surgical forceps paralleling to the artery for 25 min. Histomorphological study was performed at the second hour or on the fourteenth day after operation. RESULTS At the second hour after operation, the loss of endothelial integrity and platelet deposition were seen under the scanning electromicroscopy. Under the light microscopy, there were infiltration of inflammatory cells in vessel wall andthrombus formation in the vessel cavity. At the fourteenth day after operation, PCNA positive cells in vessel wall of squeezed artery were significantly higher, the ratios of intima, medium and intima areas of squeezed artery were significantly increased and the ratio of cavity area of squeezed artery was significantly decreased compared with those of uninjured artery.The vascular intima hyperplasia and PCNA positive cells in squeezed arterial wall were inhibited by oral administration of heparinoid and aspirin. CONCLUSION With squeezing carotid artery in rats the vascular intima hyperplasia as restenosis after angioplasty was established.