The Plasma Lipoproteins in Nonhuman Primates

Abstract

The need for satisfactory animal models arises in part from the defects of man as a model for the study of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosic lesions in humans develop irregularly over a period of years. This makes the study of either progression or regression of the disease in humans very difficult. Animal models provide the advantage that the lesions of fairly definite age can be induced in a short period of time so that factors either aggravating them or causing their regression can be studied with reasonable accuracy. The search for a completely satisfactory animal model is not finished, but an investigator now has available information concerning a large number of models from which he can choose. While no animal model exists that duplicates perfectly the human disease and all of its effects such as myocardial or cerebral infarcts, an investigator can choose from a variety of species best suited for studies of the particular facets of the disease he is interested in.