Atherosclerotic plaque injury-mediated murine thrombosis models: advantages and limitations

Abstract

In spite of current treatment strategies, myocardial infarction and stroke are still major causes of death worldwide. These events are triggered by damage of an atherosclerotic plaque, resulting in occlusive thrombus formation. Mouse studies have significantly contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms of atherogenesis and of thrombosis following plaque injury, but the extent to which the mouse serves as an accurate model of human disease is open to discussion. In this review, we provide a detailed overview and comparison of the described mouse models for atherothrombosis including their (dis)advantages. Herein guidance is provided on how to select a suitable atherothrombosis model for research questions primarily relevant to the field of thrombosis.

The multifaceted contribution of platelets in the emergence and aftermath of acute cardiovascular events

“…As discussed in more detail in our previous work, interactions of platelets with activated endothelium are distinct from the aforementioned thrombotic processes [12]. Interestingly, in vivo evidence of the role of platelets in atherothrombosis is either predominantly based on models of plaque rupture or no clear distinction is made between rupture, erosion and healing [103,104].…”

“…Opposed to the aforementioned processes of atherosclerosis development, the role of platelets in subsequent thrombus formation is wellstudied and established [102][103][104]. Traditionally, a plaque was described as either being stable or vulnerable, where the latter is more prone to rupture.…”

Dual-Targeting Glycol Chitosan/Heparin-Decorated Polypyrrole Nanoparticle for Augmented Photothermal Thrombolytic Therapy

“…Inflammation is one of the most imperative aspects in the atherosclerosis process, progressing to thrombosis . During the development of inflammation or thrombosis, the bioactivated vascular endothelial cells can secrete P-selectin. , Generally, to induce inflammation, stimulation of LPS can promote the intracellular phosphorylation of several proteins for further stimulating nuclear translocation of the nuclear transfer-factor AP-1 and stimulation of various inflammatory expressions of biological factors.…”

Sophisticated Prediction of Carotid-Plaque Vulnerability by Nanocluster Sensitized High-resolution Vessel-Wall-Imaging Profile in Rabbit Atherosclerotic Model

“…Although the high sensitivity of the HR-VWI-based molecular image method permits the detection of subtle morphological and physiological changes of AS plaque with small sample sizes, this animal experiment still suffers from several limitations including essential differences in disease progression from humans, lack of external validation for clinical management, and long duration to assess disease progression. [28][29][30] Here, the concept of triangulation by image-evaluating, histology validation, and statistical analysis were applied to increase confidence that an objective exact method was correctly conducted.…”