Abstract: Objective To explore the effective method of establishing an animal model of carotid atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Methods Thirty male rabbits were randomly divided into group A(n=20 and group B（n=）.Rabbits in group A were fed with high fatty forage and injury of their carotids was induced by balloon and rabbits in group B were fed with high fatty forage.After 8 weeks,some rabbits were sacrificed and the morphological characteristics of pathological changes in carotids were observed.Plaque rupture was triggered in survived rabbits in group A and 5 survived rabbits in group B by local injection of liquid nitrogen into their carotids.After 3 days,all rabbits were sacrificed and the morphological characteristics of pathological changes in carotids were observed again.Before and 8 weeks after experiment and 3 days after liquid nitrogen injection,fasting blood samples were collected for high serum sensitive C-reactive protein（hs-CRP） and matrix metalloproteinases-9（MMP-9） assay. Results The typical pathological changes of atherosclerosis and plaque formation were found in 9 rabbits of group A,but not in those of group B.Three days after liquid nitrogen injection,plaque rupture and thrombosis occurred in all survived rabbits of group A and the incidence of plaque rupture was 100%.The plasma concentrations of hs-CRP and MMP-9 in group A were higher than in group B before liquid nitrogen injection（P＜0.001）. Conclusion A model of rabbit carotid atherosclerotic plaque rupture can be established by improved balloon injury and liquid nitrogen injection.