title: Animal models of cardiovascular diseases.
abstract: Cardiovascular diseases are the first leading cause of death and morbidity in developed countries. The use of animal models have contributed to increase our knowledge, providing new approaches focused to improve the diagnostic and the treatment of these pathologies. Several models have been developed to address cardiovascular complications, including atherothrombotic and cardiac diseases, and the same pathology have been successfully recreated in different species, including small and big animal models of disease. However, genetic and environmental factors play a significant role in cardiovascular pathophysiology, making difficult to match a particular disease, with a single experimental model. Therefore, no exclusive method perfectly recreates the human complication, and depending on the model, additional considerations of cost, infrastructure, and the requirement for specialized personnel, should also have in mind. Considering all these facts, and depending on the budgets available, models should be selected that best reproduce the disease being investigated. Here we will describe models of atherothrombotic diseases, including expanding and occlusive animal models, as well as models of heart failure. Given the wide range of models available, today it is possible to devise the best strategy, which may help us to find more efficient and reliable solutions against human cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Atherothrombosis and Cardiovascular Imaging, Fundacion Centro Nacional Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Sinesio Delgado 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zaragoza
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gomez-Guerrero
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martin-Ventura
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blanco-Colio
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lavin
authors.forename: Beñat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mallavia
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tarin
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mas
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Egido
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000235:genetics; D013552:Swine; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D011973:Receptors, LDL