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KMID : 1144120150050030181
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Biomedical Engineering Letters
2015 Volume.5 No. 3 p.181 ~ p.187
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Novel Animal Models of Atherosclerosis
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Rezvan Amir
Sur Sanjoli
Jo Han-Joong
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Abstract
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Atherosclerosis remains a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in the world. It is now well established that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease preferentially occurring in curved or branched arterial regions, whereas straight parts of the arteries are protected, suggesting a close relationship between flow and atherosclerosis. Animal models of atherosclerosis are an important tool to understand the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and identify new therapies. Various animal models have been used throughout the years, each contributing to scientific progress in the field, including different species such as pigeon, mice, rabbit, pig and nonhuman primates. In many cases, one or a combination of multiple interventions, including genetic manipulation, hypercholesterolemia inducing diets, or surgical interventions are employed to induce atherosclerosis or to accelerate or vary the severity and complexity of the lesions. In recent years, new animal models have been developed to address specific needs in the field of atherosclerosis research. Some of these models use surgical interventions to create a disturbed flow profile, and a few models have used larger animals such as minipigs. While PCSK9 inhibition is being used as a new therapy for lowering cholesterol in hyperlipidemic patients, over-expression of PCSK9 has recently been exploited to induce atherosclerosis in animal models. No animal model can perfectly mimic the process in human disease, however each model may be successfully used to elucidate a particular aspect of the pathophysiology. It is essential to understand the strengths and weaknesses in each model in order to interpret the results as accurate as possible.
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KEYWORD
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Atherosclerosis, Animal Models, Shear Stress, PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9)
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