2. Academic Validation
  3. Use of Rabbit Models to Study Atherosclerosis

Use of Rabbit Models to Study Atherosclerosis

  • Methods Mol Biol. 2022:2419:413-431. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1924-7_25.
Jianglin Fan 1 2,  Manabu Niimi 3,  Yajie Chen 3 4,  Ritsuko Suzuki 5,  Enqi Liu 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Japan. jianglin@yamanashi.ac.jp.
  • 2 School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, China. jianglin@yamanashi.ac.jp.
  • 3 Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Japan.
  • 4 School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, China.
  • 5 Admission Center, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Japan.
  • 6 Research Institute of Atherosclerotic Disease and Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, China.
PMID: 35237979 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1924-7_25
Abstract

Rabbits are a useful animal model for examining human hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis because they have unique features of lipoprotein metabolism that are similar to those in humans. Feeding rabbits a cholesterol-rich diet is a simple means to induce experimental atherosclerosis. Indeed, cholesterol-fed rabbits were first applied to address the relationship between dietary Cholesterol and atherosclerosis more than 100 years ago. However, the methods for investigating atherosclerosis using cholesterol-fed rabbits have not been well formulated. In this chapter, we attempt to provide readers with the essential methods to use cholesterol-fed rabbits in the examination of atherosclerosis from Cholesterol diet preparation to lesion analysis. These protocols are compiled for both experienced and young researchers who intend to use rabbits for the investigation of lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis.

Keywords

Animal models; Atherosclerosis; Hypercholesterolemia; Plaques; Rabbits.

Figures
Products