Aortic transplant model to study the molecular processes of transplant arteriosclerosis

作者：Rowinska Z^*; Zander S; Liehn E; Merx M W; Zernecke A

来源：Gefasschirurgie, 2012, 17(8): 731-737.

DOI：10.1007/s00772-012-1084-6

• Aortic transplantation
• Sleeve anastomosis
• Atherosclerosis
• Ultrasound
• Mice model

Murine arterial graft models are being used to uncover the inflammatory reactions of the vessel wall after surgery and the herein involved mediators. The aim of this study was to establish a model of transplantation-induced atherosclerosis after aortic transplantation. %26lt;br%26gt;Mice on a C57BL/6-background (n = 14) underwent infrarenal, orthotopic aortic transplantation. A group of sham animals (n = 10) served as controls. These groups of mice were kept on normal chow. In addition, apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice were employed (n = 5) that were fed a high fat diet immediately after surgery for 4 weeks. %26lt;br%26gt;Ultrasound analyses and immunohistochemical analyses of the transplanted aorta revealed no major changes in morphology and function of C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, ApoE(-/-) mice developed marked intimal hyperplasia, with signs of monocyte/macrophage and smooth muscle cell infiltrations. %26lt;br%26gt;While C57BL/6 mice showed no significant changes in the aorta after transplantation, ApoE(-/-) mice on a high fat diet displayed signs of transplant atherosclerosis. Hence, this model provides an experimental basis for studying the pathogenesis of chronic atherosclerotic vessel wall remodeling after transplantation. This may also be useful for elucidating new therapeutic targets for the treatment of this disease.

• 出版日期2012-12