title: Rupture of the atherosclerotic plaque: does a good animal model exist?
abstract: By its very nature, rupture of the atherosclerotic plaque is difficult to study directly in humans. A good animal model would help us not only to understand how rupture occurs but also to design and test treatments to prevent it from happening. However, several difficulties surround existing models of plaque rupture, including the need for radical interventions to produce the rupture, lack of direct evidence of rupture per se, and absence of convincing evidence of platelet- and fibrin-rich thrombus at the rupture site. At the present time, attention should therefore focus on the processes of plaque breakdown and thrombus formation in humans, whereas the use of animal models should probably be reserved for studying the function of particular genes and for investigating isolated features of plaques, such as the relationship between cap thickness and plaque stability.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Arteriosclerosis Research, Domagkstrasse 3, D-48149 Muenster, Germany. cullen@uni-muenster.de
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baetta
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellosta
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bernini
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chinetti
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cignarella
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Eckardstein
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Exley
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goddard
authors.forename: Marten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hofker
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hurt-Camejo
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kanters
authors.forename: Petri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kovanen
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lorkowski
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: McPheat
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pentikäinen
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rauterberg
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Staels
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weitkamp
authors.forename: Menno
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Winther
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D010856:Columbidae; D003328:Coronary Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D023421:Models, Animal; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology