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Updated: Oct 5, 2025

Creation of a Rodent Model of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm by Blocking Adventitial Vasa Vasorum Perfusion
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Creation of a Rodent Model of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm by Blocking Adventitial Vasa Vasorum Perfusion

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Differences in Vasa Vasorum Distribution in Human Aortic Aneurysms and Atheromas

Masaki Sano1,2, Takeshi Sasaki3, Satoshi Baba4

  • 1Division of Vascular Surgery, 12793Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan.

Angiology
|January 24, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Vasa vasorum (VV) differences in the aorta may explain why atheromas and aneurysms develop differently. Aneurysms show altered VV connections, potentially leading to distinct disease pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Vascular Pathology
  • Medical Research

Background:

  • The distinct pathophysiological mechanisms underlying aortic atheromas and aneurysms remain unclear.
  • Vasa vasorum (VV) are crucial for aortic wall maintenance and implicated in vascular pathologies.
  • Understanding VV alterations is key to differentiating aortic disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare the structural and functional differences of vasa vasorum (VV) in human abdominal aortic atheromas versus aneurysms.
  • To elucidate the potential roles of VV in the distinct pathophysiologies of these aortic conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Human abdominal aortic samples from aneurysm patients and autopsy cases with atheromas were analyzed.
  • Immunohistochemical staining for von Willebrand factor was used to evaluate VV.
  • VV distribution and connections within the intima, media, and adventitia were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Intimal VV increased in both atheroma and aneurysm groups.
  • Medial VV increased, while adventitial VV decreased exclusively in the aneurysm group.
  • VV connections shifted from adventitia-to-media in atheromas to media-to-intima in aneurysms.

Conclusions:

  • Distinct alterations in VV structure and connectivity characterize aortic aneurysms compared to atheromas.
  • These VV differences may support the 'outside-in' theory for atheromas and an 'inside-out' theory for aneurysms.
  • Investigating VV pathophysiology offers insights into the divergent development of aortic diseases.

Keywords:
abdominal aortaaortic aneurysmatheromavasa vasorum

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