Development, techniques, and utility of experimental animal models of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms

Carlos C. Bravo-Reyna, Departamento de Cirugía Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México, México
Jacqueline Mejía-Cervantes, Sección Angiología, Cirugía Vascular y Endovascular, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México, México
Ana T. Verduzco-Vázquez, Sección Angiología, Cirugía Vascular y Endovascular, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México, México
Cristopher C. Sánchez-Rodríguez, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital Ángeles del Pedregal, Ciudad de México, México
Leonardo Cuervo-Vargas, Departamento de Ortopedia, Hospital Regional Lic. Adolfo López Mateos, ISSSTE, Ciudad de México, México
Luis A. Medina-Velázquez, Departamento de Física, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Ciudad de México
Víctor Gómez-Vergara, Departamento de Cirugía Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México, México
Carlos A. Hinojosa, Sección Angiología, Cirugía Vascular y Endovascular, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México, México
Javier E. Anaya-Ayala, Sección Angiología, Cirugía Vascular y Endovascular, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México; Dirección Médica, Hospital Ángeles Universidad. Ciudad de México, México

Aneurysms are clinical entities that can develop and affect human aorta; and although in most cases they have an asymptomatic course, these pathological dilatations can lead to a lethal outcome when rupture occurs, thus the establishment of predictors is crucial for death prevention. Essential events that take place in the vessel wall have been identified and described, such as inflammation, proteolysis, smooth muscle cell apoptosis, angiogenesis, and vascular remodeling. Porcine and ovine models have been useful for the development and evaluation of endovascular devices of the aorta. However, since the worldwide introduction and adoption of these minimally invasive techniques for aneurysm repair, there is lesser availability of diseased aortic tissue for molecular, cellular, and histopathological analysis, therefore over the last three decades it has been proposed various small species models that have allowed the focal induction of these lesions for the study of physiopathological mechanisms and possible useful biomarkers as diagnostic and therapeutic targets. The present review article presents and discusses the animal models available as their applications, characteristics, advantages, and limitations for the development of preclinical studies, and their importance in the comprehension of this pathology in humans.

Keywords: Aortic aneurysms. Animals models. Extracellular matrix. Calcium chloride. Elastase. Angiotensin II.