Review Article

Animal Models of Calcific Aortic Valve Disease

Table 1

Characteristics of mouse models of CAVD.

ModelInsult*, duration, (treatment)Total cholResults, (treatment)Study

Mouse

WT C57BL/6J58.7% fat, <0.1% cholesterol, 4 mo166 ± 4↑T, TV, M, Tc, C; OADrolet et al. 2006 [34]
WT C57BL/6J9% fat (w/w), 1.25% chol, 0.5% cholic acid, 15–22 wk↑M on high-shear ventricular face, no Δ in L or LPRMehrabian et al. 1991 [35]
Ldlr−/−42% fat, 0.2% chol., 4 mo1040 ± 37↑mineral deposition reportedTowler et al. 1998 [36]
Ldlr−/−42% fat, 0.15% chol., 4 mo1958 ± 235↑M, SO, My, O, CMatsumoto et al. 2010 [37]
Ldlr−/−; normal diet, 20 mo271 ± 12↑LV hypertrophy, C, SO; OAWeiss et al. 2006 [38]
Ldlr−/−; / /Mx1-Cre+/+, “Reversa”42% fat, 0.25% chol., 6–12 mo, (Reversal)997 ± 87↑L, M, My, PFS, Col, PCS, SO, C; OA, ( all but Col; TC)Miller et al. 2009 [39]
“Reversa”, as above42% fat, 0.25% chol., 14 mo, (Reversal)571 ± 54↑PFS, PCS, SO, C; OA, ( all but PFS, SO; does not ↑OA; TC)Miller et al. 2010 [40]
Apoe−/−Normal diet, 30 mo↑TV, M, Tc, My, O, CTanaka et al. 2005 [41]
Apoe−/−42% fat, 0.15% chol., 4 & 16 mo↑macrophage-targeted NIRF signalAikawa et al. 2007 [42]
Apoe−/−42% fat, 0.2% chol., 5 mo588 ± 47↑T, M, My, O, MMP-2/9, microC, ALP, cathepsinB/K, activated VECsAikawa et al. 2007 [43]
Apoe−/−42% fat, 0.2% chol., 125 μg/day leptin, 2 mo4709 ± 247↑O, C, ALPZeadin et al. 2009 [44]
Apoe−/−Normal diet, 2.5 mg/kg/day acrolein, 8 wk564 ± 17↑M, L, activated VECs, TC, VLDL, PF4; no ↑My or SOSrivastava et al. 2011 [45]
Apoe−/−;Ctss−/−42% fat, 0.2% chol., 5/6 nephrectomy, 5 mo660 ± 25M, C, O, elastolytic activity, elastin fragment versus Ctss+/+Aikawa et al. 2009 [46]
Apoe−/−Normal diet, 5/6 nephrectomy, 6 mo397 ± 25↑M, microC, osteoporosisHjortnaes et al. 2010 [47]
Mgp−/−Normal diet, 2-3 wkn/a↑valve calcification reportedLuo et al. 1997 [48]
Fibulin4−/−Normal diet, 4-5 mon/a↑T, functional impairment, PFS, PCS, immune response geneHanada et al. 2007 [49]
Eln+/−Normal diet, 1 wk–17 mon/a↑proliferation of VICs, regurgitationHinton et al. 2010 [50]
Notch1+/−42% fat, 0.2% chol., 10 mo↑C by 5x, ALP; no bicuspid aortic valvesNigam and Srivastava 2009 [51]
RBPJk+/−1.25% chol., 0.5% sodium cholate, 5 IU VitD3, 4 mo~200↑T, M, Col, TV, PFS, PCS, C; FS and EF; no bicuspid aortic valvesNus et al. 2011 [52]
Postn−/−Normal diet, 10 mon/a↑bicuspid-like aortic valves, PCS, CTkatchenko et al. 2009 [53]
Postn−/−57% fat, 4 mo~145T, M, My, annular fibrosis, MMP-2/13 versus WT on HF dietHakuno et al. 2010 [54]
ChmI−/−Normal diet, 21–24 mon/a↑T, L, C, AVA, VEGF-A, angiogenesisYoshioka et al. 2006 [55]
Nos3−/− (eNOS)Normal diet, 25–30 gn/a~50% bicuspid aortic valve incidenceLee et al. 2000 [56]
Madh6−/−Normal diet, 6 wkn/a↑valve hyperplasia, aortic ossificationGalvin et al. 2000 [57]
persistent Twist1Normal diet, 1 wk & 6.5 mon/a↑T, Col2a1, periostin, MMP-2/13; OAChakraborty et al. 2010 [58]
hypomorphic Egfr Normal diet, 1 wk–12 mon/a↑M, C, O, congenitally enlarged valvesBarrick et al. 2009 [59]
Il1rn−/−Normal diet, 4–40 wk~90↑T, M, My, C, TV, TNF-αIsoda et al. 2010 [60]

*% fat: % kcal from fat unless otherwise noted.
mg/dL. Normal total cholesterol ranges: human: 197 ± 23 mg/dL [61], mouse: 90–110 mg/dL, rabbit: 30–60 mg/dL, swine: 60–75 mg/dL.
↑: increased compared to control, : decreased compared to control, ALP: alkaline phosphatase activity, AVA: aortic valve area, C: calcification, Col: collagen, EF: ejection fraction, FS: fractional shortening, HF: high fat, L: lipid deposition, LPR: lipoprotein infiltration, LV: left ventricle, M: macrophage, My: myofibroblast, n/a: not applicable, OA: opening area, O: osteoblast, PCS: procalcific signalling, PFS: profibrotic signalling, PF4: platelet factor 4, SO: superoxides, T: thickness, Tc: T-cell, TC: total cholesterol, TV: transvalvular velocity, VEC: valve endothelial cells, VIC: valve interstitial cells, VLDL: very low-density lipoprotein, and WT: wild type.