Approaches to modeling pulmonary embolism and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in rodents and medium-sized laboratory animals

Abstract

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third most common cardiovascular disease. It is still associated with high hospital mortality, as well as with the development of acute and chronic complications. Treatment and prevention of PE and its complications requires high-tech approaches aimed at improving the prognosis of patients. In this regard, experimental studies aimed at studying the pathogenesis, improving diagnostic methods and searching for new pharmacological substances for the prevention and treatment of PE are in demand from the point of view of clinical practice. Considering the current trends in preclinical research, experimental work on rodents — mice, rats, hamsters, as well as on medium-sized laboratory animals (rabbits) is becoming more and more common. The use of these animal species is ethically acceptable and economically viable. The choice of a specific type of animal and a method for modeling PE is primarily determined by the objectives of the study. This article provides an overview of the main approaches to modeling PE, as well as discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Special attention is paid to the modeling of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) as one of the most dangerous complications of PE. The work analyzed publications from 1978 to 2020, in which PE was simulated in rodents and medium laboratory animals.