Research methods for animal models of atherosclerosis (Review)

Zhang,Yali; Fatima,Mahreen; Hou,Siyuan; Bai,Liang; Zhao,Sihai; Liu,Enqi

doi:10.3892/mmr.2021.12511

Research methods for animal models of atherosclerosis (Review)

Authors:
- Yali Zhang
- Mahreen Fatima
- Siyuan Hou
- Liang Bai
- Sihai Zhao
- Enqi Liu
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Affiliations: Research Institute of Atherosclerotic Disease, Xi'an Jiaotong University Cardiovascular Research Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China, Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
Published online on: October 27, 2021 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2021.12511
Article Number: 871
Copyright: © Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that threatens human health and lives by causing vascular stenosis and plaque rupture. Various animal models have been employed for elucidating the pathogenesis, drug development and treatment validation studies for atherosclerosis. To the best of our knowledge, the species used for atherosclerosis research include mice, rats, hamsters, rabbits, pigs, dogs, non‑human primates and birds, among which the most commonly used ones are mice and rabbits. Notably, apolipoprotein E knockout (KO) or low‑density lipoprotein receptor KO mice have been the most widely used animal models for atherosclerosis research since the late 20th century. Although the aforementioned animal models can form atherosclerotic lesions, they cannot completely simulate those in humans with respect to lesion location, lesion composition, lipoprotein composition and physiological structure. Hence, an appropriate animal model needs to be selected according to the research purpose. Additionally, it is necessary for atherosclerosis research to include quantitative analysis results of atherosclerotic lesion size and plaque composition. Laboratory animals can provide not only experimental tissues for in vivo studies but also cells needed for in vitro experiments. The present review first summarizes the common animal models and their practical applications, followed by focus on mouse and rabbit models and elucidating the methods to quantify atherosclerotic lesions. Finally, the methods of culturing endothelial cells, macrophages and smooth muscle cells were elucidated in detail and the experiments involved in atherosclerosis research were discussed.

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