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Animal Models for Studies of Arterial Stiffness

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Blood Pressure and Arterial Wall Mechanics in Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

Arterial stiffness is a perfect example of translational research spanning the understanding of the molecular determinants of the arterial wall constituents and their organization to the physiology of normal and early vascular ageing.

The most widely used parameter to investigate arterial stiffness in rodents is pulse wave velocity (PWV). The relation between strain and stress is also established to characterize the intrinsic behaviour of the arterial wall independent of geometric factors.

The first attempts to explain arterial stiffness by the properties of the structural components of the arterial wall addressed the role of the principal constituents, elastin and collagen fibres and smooth muscle cells. To complete this approach, the roles of the adhesion molecules, inflammation, blood pressure variability, NO, integrins and metalloproteinases in arterial stiffness were also investigated by attempting to try and interfere directly with these different factors.

Hypertensive rodents were the first experimental models used and employed to test remodelling and vascular function in an environment mimicking human physiology. Then, investigations were completed with other cardiovascular animal models (mainly kidney disease, obesity, blood pressure variability or ageing) to discover more specific therapeutic targets related to other mechanisms that trigger arterial stiffness. Nowadays, the advances in mouse genetics have provided numerous genotypes and phenotypes to study changes in arterial mechanics with disease progression and treatment. The aim of modifying a single gene to understand the mechanism of this polygenic disease has led to complete animal models using in vitro cellular approaches.

The response to these questions will ultimately come from more complete knowledge of the mechanisms involved, using pharmacological and other tools in existing and/or newly emerging animal models.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculté de Médecine, Unité INSERM UL U1116, 9 avenue de la Foret de Haye CS 50184, Vandoeuvre Les Nancy, 54505, France

    Patrick Lacolley & Simon N. Thornton PhD

  2. Pharmacy Department, Groupe Hospitalier Paris Saint – Joseph, 185 re Raymond Losserand, Paris, 75014, France

    Yvonnick Bezie PharmD, PhD

Authors
  1. Patrick Lacolley
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  2. Simon N. Thornton PhD
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  3. Yvonnick Bezie PharmD, PhD
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Correspondence to Patrick Lacolley .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hôtel-Dieu Hospital Diagnosis and Therapeutics Center, Paris Descartes University, Paris, Paris, France

    Michel E. Safar

  2. St Vincent Clinic and Hospital, University of New South Wales, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Michael F. O'Rourke

  3. Department of Cardiology, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Edward D. Frohlich

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Lacolley, P., Thornton, S.N., Bezie, Y. (2014). Animal Models for Studies of Arterial Stiffness. In: Safar, M., O'Rourke, M., Frohlich, E. (eds) Blood Pressure and Arterial Wall Mechanics in Cardiovascular Diseases. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5198-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5198-2_6

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