Correlation Between Oral Bacteria and Atherosclerotic Thrombotic Disease: Advances in Animal Model Studies

This review summarizes the current applications of animal models in studying oral bacteria and atherosclerotic thrombotic disease (ATD), providing a reference for future research.

ATD is characterized by plaque formation, rupture, and thrombus aggregation, leading to vascular lumen occlusion or stenosis. It is a major contributor to cardiovascular events, linked to risk factors such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Recent studies have focused on the relationship between oral bacteria and ATD, suggesting that oral bacteria and their metabolites contribute to ATD through inflammatory responses, endothelial dysfunction, procoagulant effects, and metabolic changes. Although the correlation between oral bacteria and ATD is established, the underlying molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways remain unclear. Animal models are essential for investigating these mechanisms and replicating pathological processes. However, the lack of standardized methodologies introduces bias. This review provides a comparative analysis of the advantages and limitations associated with animal models of atherosclerosis, arterial thrombosis, combined atherosclerosis and thrombosis, as well as models incorporating oral bacteria in atherosclerotic thrombotic disease. It systematically summarizes animal models of atherosclerotic thrombosis and proposes that, when investigating the interaction between oral bacteria and ATD, both the atherosclerotic thrombosis model and oral bacteria introduction methods may be cross-utilized, depending on specific research requirements. This study proposes a more suitable model: combining a periodontitis model with an atherosclerotic plaque model and using P53 adenovirus to induce controlled plaque rupture.