Roles of the WHHL rabbit in translational research on hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular diseases

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Science
• Cardiovascular Research
• Animal Models

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases pose a significant global health challenge.
• Rodent models (mice, rats) have limitations in accurately reflecting human cardiovascular diseases due to metabolic and functional differences.
• Rabbits, particularly specific strains, offer more relevant models for studying human cardiovascular conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the importance of selecting appropriate animal species for translational cardiovascular research.
• To detail the development and characteristics of Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits and myocardial infarction-prone WHHL (WHHLMI) rabbits.
• To discuss the application of these rabbit models in developing drugs for hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on animal models for cardiovascular diseases.
• Description of the genetic and functional basis of WHHL and WHHLMI rabbits.
• Analysis of the utility of WHHL and WHHLMI rabbits in preclinical drug testing.

Main Results:

• WHHL rabbits spontaneously develop hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis due to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor deficiencies.
• WHHLMI rabbits, an improved strain, are prone to myocardial infarction, offering a model for ischemic heart disease.
• These rabbit models exhibit lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerotic lesions closely resembling those in humans.

Conclusions:

• The selection of appropriate animal models, such as WHHL and WHHLMI rabbits, is crucial for successful translational research in cardiovascular disease.
• WHHL and WHHLMI rabbits are valuable tools for evaluating the efficacy of hypocholesterolemic and antiatherosclerotic therapies.
• Future research should continue to leverage these advanced rabbit models for a deeper understanding and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.