EDITORIAL: Insights Into the Development and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease: A Role for Animal Models

Abstract

Approximately one-third of the total deaths worldwide per annum, amounting to 16.6 million people, is due to cardiovascular disease [1], making it the number one cause of death [2]. Cardiovascular disease also has a major impact on morbidity [1]. Thus, reducing the incidence of deaths due to vascular disease/complications and developing better treatment strategies, remains a central goal for national economies worldwide [3, 4]. Consequently, several animal models have been developed to replicate human vascular diseases, in order to study the pathophysiology of disease progression and novel therapeutic options. This issue of The Open Cardiovascular Medicine Journal discusses some of these models. In this Editorial, each review article for the Special Issue will be briefly outlined, with consideration given to a few additional models. Tsui describes genetically predisposed, chemical and physical animal models of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) [5]. This review focuses on the pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie the development and progression of AAAs and the different treatment modalities for their management. Ou et al. discusses the development of animal models of myocardial infraction, dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, myocarditis and cardiac hypertrophy, emphasising the usefulness of stem cell therapy [6]. Karasu describes abnormal cardiac contractility and impaired vascular reactivity in animal models of diabetes mellitus and highlights the role of antioxidant therapy in preventing or delaying diabetic cardiovascular complications [7]. Grossman explores the use of the renal hypertension-Goldblatt kidney and uraemic cardiomyopathy animal models to look at the relationship between cardiovascular disease and renal pathophysiology [8]. Ameen and Robson describe the relationship between Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and cardiovascular disease in spontaneous and transgenic animal models, outlining new treatment options [9]. Price et al. discusses the use of magnetic resonance imaging to follow the pathophysiology of myocardial ischaemia and atherosclerosis in animal models. Attention has also been given to imaging the rodent developing heart to assess the influence of genes and congenital diseases [10]. In addition, several other models have been developed for the study of vascular disease. This Editorial briefly addresses some of them.