Effects of mechanical properties and atherosclerotic artery size on biomechanical plaque disruption – Mouse vs. human

Abstract

Mouse models of atherosclerosis are extensively being used to study the mechanisms of atherosclerotic plaque development and the results are frequently extrapolated to humans. However, major differences have been described between murine and human atherosclerotic lesions and the determination of similarities and differences between these species has been largely addressed recently. This study takes over and extends previous studies performed by our group and related to the biomechanical characterization of both mouse and human atherosclerotic lesions. Its main objective was to determine the distribution and amplitude of mechanical stresses including peak cap stress (PCS) in aortic vessels from atherosclerotic, apoE−/− mice in order to evaluate whether such biomechanical data would be in accordance with the previously suggested lack of plaque rupture in this model. Successful finite element analysis was performed from the zero-stress configuration of aortic arch sections and mainly indicated (1) the modest role of atherosclerotic lesions in the observed increase in residual parietal stresses in apoE−/− mouse vessels and (2) the low amplitude of murine PCS as compared to humans. Overall, the results from the present study support the hypothesis that murine biomechanical properties and artery size confer less propensity to rupture for mouse lesions in comparison with those of humans.

The Imaging Modulography Technique Revisited for High-Definition Intravascular Ultrasound: Theoretical Framework

“…Atherosclerotic coronary plaque rupture and subsequent thrombosis is the leading cause of acute coronary syndrome and responsible for the majority of cardiovascular deaths (Fleg et al 2012;Go et al 2013;Lloyd-Jones et al 2010). Vulnerable plaques (VPs; plaques likely to rupture) possess specific geometrical (Virmani et al 2006), mechanical (Cheng et al 1993;Loree et al 1992;Ohayon et al 2001;Riou et al 2014) and biological (Broisat et al 2011) features. An early and accurate determination of these properties remains an essential step to implementing preventive therapeutic strategies (Libby 2001).…”

Numerical analysis of the hemodynamics of rat aorta based on magnetic resonance imaging and fluid–structure interaction

“…Moreover, the wall stress in the aortic arch is relatively high in the rat, which is rather low in human 53 . The similarities and differences in mechanics between rat aorta and human aorta would be helpful to guide the usage of murine models as a preclinical model for human cardiovascular diseases 54 …”

Animal models for plaque rupture: a biomechanical assessment

“…It also predicts that if the radius of the artery decreases and the wall thickness remains constant, the average stress in the wall would decrease accordingly. Translating this scaling law to atherosclerotic plaques, this implies that a 65 µm thick murine cap has much lower stresses than a human cap of similar thickness (39).…”