Vascular access animal models used in research

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Nephrology
• Animal Models in Research

Background:

• Increasing incidence of renal and vascular diseases necessitates dialysis access via arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and arteriovenous shunt (AVS).
• Neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) is a major complication of AVF/AVS, leading to morbidity and mortality.
• Animal models are crucial for understanding AVF/AVS pathomechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the effectiveness of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and arteriovenous shunt (AVS) research animal models.
• To compare the utility of various animal models for studying AVF and AVS.

Main Methods:

• A systematic Medline search (1966-2018) was conducted for studies on AVF/AVS animal models.
• Included studies reported complete methods, statistically significant animal numbers, and significant results.
• 55 articles covering six animal species were identified.

Main Results:

• Large animal models (pig, sheep, dog) utilize pelvic/femoral vessels, carotid artery/jugular vein, or femoral vessels.
• Small animal models include rabbits (carotid artery/jugular vein), rats (various vessels), and mice (aortocaval models).
• Specific vessel configurations vary by species and research focus.

Conclusions:

• Large animal models excel in hemodynamic shear stress studies and in vivo synthetic vascular graft evaluation.
• Small animal models, particularly genetically modified ones, are ideal for molecular and cellular pathomechanism analysis.
• The choice of animal model should align with the specific research question.