Mechanisms of intimal hyperplasia learned from a murine carotid artery ligation model

The murine carotid artery ligation (CAL) model has been widely used in the research of intimal hyperplasia, a major pathological process in vascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty. Using a variety of gene knockout or transgenic mice and different pharmacological interventions, these studies have yielded significant new findings that contribute not only to unraveling the basic molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of intimal hyperplasia, but also to the identification of novel targets for intervention of these diseases. The current review outlines the findings derived from the murine CAL model, including studies run by the authors, covering the impacts of hyperlipidemia, pro-inflammatory factors, endothelial dysfunction, protease activity and growth mediators on neointimal hyperplasia.