Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
05:31
Murine Model of Thoracic Aortic Dissection Induced by Oral β-Aminopropionitrile and Subcutaneous Angiotensin II Infusion
Published on: May 16, 2025
Murine model of surgically induced acute aortic dissection type A
Peter Matt1, David L Huso, Jennifer Habashi
1Division of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Basel/Berne, Spitalstrasse 21, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland. pmatt@uhbs.ch
The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
|November 14, 2009
Summary
A new mouse model successfully induces acute aortic dissection (AAD) using aortic clamp injury in fibrillin-1 deficient mice. This reproducible model identified circulating transforming growth factor beta1 as a promising biomarker for AAD.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Translational Medicine
- Animal Models
Background:
- Acute aortic dissection (AAD) is a life-threatening condition with limited understanding of its progression.
- Developing reliable animal models is crucial for studying AAD pathogenesis and identifying therapeutic targets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a murine model of surgically induced acute aortic dissection type A.
- To investigate the formation and progression of AAD.
- To evaluate the model's utility for biomarker discovery.
Main Methods:
- Surgically induced acute aortic dissection in adult fibrillin-1 deficient (Fbn1(C1039G/+)) and wild-type mice using aortic clamp injury.
- Echocardiography for aortic root diameter assessment.
- Histological and elastin staining for aortic wall integrity.
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for serum biomarker analysis.
Main Results:
- Aortic clamp injury successfully induced AAD in Fbn1(C1039G/+) mice but not in wild-type mice.
- Histology revealed intimal tears and medial disruption in affected aortas.
- Elevated circulating transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1) levels were observed post-AAD induction in Fbn1(C1039G/+) mice.
Conclusions:
- Aortic clamp injury provides a reproducible method for inducing AAD in a relevant genetic background.
- This non-lethal murine model facilitates short-term investigation of AAD.
- Circulating TGF-β1 is identified as a potential biomarker for acute aortic dissection.
