Table 2.
Rodent models and important findings.
| Rodent models | Important findings |
|---|---|
| Apoe−/− mice | Interleukin-1β against late atherosclerosis in mice (14) Targeting CD40-induced TRAF6 signaling in macrophages reduces atherosclerosis (15) |
| LDLR−/− mice with high-fat diet | Folic acid delays development of atherosclerosis in LDLR−/− mice (18) Bilirubin prevents atherosclerotic lesion formation in LDLR−/− mice (19) |
| Left anterior descending coronary artery ligation model | Redirected T cell immunotherapy can be used to treat pathological cardiac fibrosis in mice (22) Dual stem cell therapy improves cardiac function and vascular regeneration after myocardial infarction (23) |
| Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) | Chronic, low-dose TMAO treatment reduces diastolic dysfunction and heart fibrosis in hypertensive rats (33) |
| Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery model | DNA hydroxymethylation controls cardiomyocyte gene expression in development and hypertrophy (41) |
| Dahl salt-sensitive (DSS) rats | Delayed repolarization underlies ventricular arrhythmias in rats with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (39) |
| Group A β-hemolytic streptococci induced rheumatic heart disease model | Rats immunized with streptococcal M5 protein developed valvular lesions, rheumatic fever, and rheumatic heart disease are mediated by inflammatory CD4+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages (49) Inhibition of miR-155-5p attenuates the valvular damage induced by rheumatic heart disease (50) |
| Monocrotaline-induced pulmonary heart disease model | Inhibition of HIF-2α can be used to treat severe vascular remodeling and right heart failure in pulmonary arterial hypertension (55) |
| Coxsackie virus B3 (CVB3) induced myocarditis model | Nicotinic agonist inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis in CVB3-induced myocarditis (63) |
| α-Myosin heavy chain (α-MHC) induced autoimmune myocarditis model | Eosinophil-derived IL-4 drives progression of myocarditis to dilated cardiomyopathy (65) Midkine drives cardiac inflammation by promoting neutrophil trafficking and NETosis in myocarditis (66) |
| Nkx2-5 defect mice | Point mutations in murine phenocopy human congenital heart disease and induce pathogenic Wnt signaling (71) |
| GATA4 defect mice | Cardiac-specific deletion of Gata4 reveals its requirement for hypertrophy, compensation, and myocyte viability (93) |
| OPG−/− mice | MicroRNA-32 promotes calcification in vascular smooth muscle cells (78) |
| Adenine-induced coronary medial calcification model | Ginsenoside Rb1 ameliorates chronic kidney disease (CKD)-associated vascular calcification by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway (81) |
| LDLR−/−: Runx2ΔSM mice | Runx2 deletion in smooth muscle cells inhibits vascular osteochondrogenesis and calcification but not atherosclerotic lesion formation (85) |
| Water-soluble extract of Candida albicans (CAWS) induced Kawasaki disease | Dectin-2-induced CCL2 production in tissue-resident macrophages ignites cardiac arteritis (88) |
| Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract (LCWE) induced Kawasaki disease | Interleukin-1β is crucial for the induction of coronary artery inflammation in a mouse model of Kawasaki disease (94) |