title: Establishment of a new murine elastase-induced aneurysm model combined with transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of our study was to develop a reproducible murine model of elastase-induced aneurysm formation combined with aortic transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male mice (n = 6-9 per group) underwent infrarenal, orthotopic transplantation of the aorta treated with elastase or left untreated. Subsequently, both groups of mice were monitored by ultrasound until 7 weeks after grafting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mice receiving an elastase-pretreated aorta developed aneurysms and exhibited a significantly increased diastolic vessel diameter compared to control grafted mice at 7 week after surgery (1.11 ± 0.10 mm vs. 0.75 ± 0.03 mm; p ≤ 0,001). Histopathological examination revealed disruption of medial elastin, an increase in collagen content and smooth muscle cells, and neointima formation in aneurysm grafts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We developed a reproducible murine model of elastase-induced aneurysm combined with aortic transplantation. This model may be suitable to investigate aneurysm-specific inflammatory processes and for use in gene-targeted animals.
authors: Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Düsseldorf University Hospital, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Molecular Cardiovascular Research, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University Department of Medicine, Aachen, Germany.
authors: Zuzanna
authors: Z
authors: Rowinska
authors: Division of Cardiology, Pneumology and Angiology, Düsseldorf University Hospital, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Gorressen
authors: Division of Cardiology, Pneumology and Angiology, Düsseldorf University Hospital, Düsseldorf, Germany; Department of Cardiology, Vascular Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine, Robert Koch Krankenhaus, Klinikum Region Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors: Marc W
authors: MW
authors: Merx
authors: Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors: Thomas A
authors: TA
authors: Koeppel
authors: Institute of Molecular Cardiovascular Research, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University Department of Medicine, Aachen, Germany.
authors: Elisa A
authors: EA
authors: Liehn
authors: Institute of Clinical Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Alma
authors: A
authors: Zernecke
mesh_terms: D000783:Aneurysm / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D010196:Pancreatic Elastase