Table 1.

Overview of Most Common Species Used for Animal Models of Restenosis

	Mouse (Mus musculus dom.)	Rat (Rattus norvegicus dom.)	Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus dom.)	Pig (Sus scrofa dom.)	Dog (Canis lupus familiaris)	Non-human Primates
Estimated median time since last common ancestor with human (million years)	∼89	∼89	∼89	∼94	∼94	∼30 (Macaque) ∼6 (Chimpanzee)
Knockout/-in availability	+++	++	+	± (minipig)	−	± (Cynomolgus, Rhesus)
Target vessels and average diameter in adult animal (mm)	Carotid artery: 0.6 Aorta: 0.8 Iliac artery: 0.3 Femoral artery: 0.2	Carotid artery: 1.0 Aorta: 2.0 Iliac artery: 1.0 Femoral artery: 0.5	Carotid artery: 2.0 Aorta: 2.8 Iliac artery: 2.2 Femoral artery: 1.3	Carotid artery: 5.5 Aorta: 16.5 Iliac artery: 6.0 Femoral artery: 4.0 (minipig)	Carotid artery: 5.0 Aorta: 8.0 Iliac artery: 4.0 Femoral artery: 2.0 (mid-sized race/mongrel)	Carotid artery: 4.5 Aorta: 6.6 Iliac artery: 4.5 Femoral artery: 1.5 (Cynomolgus)
Advantages	Uncomplicated Husbandry; High-throughput possible; High genetic manipulability; Many different strains available; Immuno-inflammatory system similar to humans; Pathologic preconditions available	Uncomplicated Husbandry; High-throughput possible; Large enough for stent and balloon interventions; Pathologic preconditions available	Lipid metabolism similar to human; Plaque formation with luminal stenosis similar to human; Large enough for human instruments and similar types of intervention	Large enough for human instruments and interventions; Metabolism similar to human immunoinflammatory and cardiovascular system similar to human lesion morphology and distribution similar to humans; Pathologic preconditions available	Large enough for human instruments and interventions; Easy handling	Relationship to human metabolism similar to human Immunoinflammatory and cardiovascular system close to humans; Large enough for human instruments and interventions
Disadvantages	Different lipid metabolism to human; Lumen-narrowing stenoses or high-risk plaques hardly possible to develop; Too small for human-like interventions	Different lipid metabolism to human; Different plaque formation compared to humans	Elevated demands on space and care; Only moderate throughput possible; Lesions primarily consist of foam cells	High demands on space and care; Only low-throughput possible; Atherosclerosis usually stops in stage of foam cell agglomeration	High demands on space and care; Only low-throughput possible; Different metabolism and different immunoinflammatory response compared to humans; No lumen-narrowing plaques	Very high demands on husbandry; Only very low throughput possible; High ethical hurdles