Murine Aortic Aneurysm Produced by Periarterial Application of Calcium Chloride

• Published in: The Journal of surgical research Vol. 99; no. 2; pp. 371 - 376
• Main Authors: Chiou, Andy C., Chiu, Bill, Pearce, William H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-08-2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: abdominal aortic aneurysm; Animals; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - chemically induced; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - pathology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Calcium Chloride; Cardiology. Vascular system; Dilatation, Pathologic; Disease Models, Animal; Diseases of the aorta; inflammation; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; murine model; Sodium Chloride; calcium chloride; murine model; inflammation; abdominal aortic aneurysm; Induction; Pathogenesis; Rodentia; Aneurysm; Cardiovascular disease; Experimental study; Calcium chloride; Arterial disease; Vascular disease; Abdominal aorta; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Aortic disease
• ISSN: 0022-4804; 1095-8673
• DOI: 10.1006/jsre.2001.6207

A murine abdominal aortic aneurysm model was developed by applying calcium chloride periarterially. A 13.6 mEq/10 ml calcium chloride solution was applied to the abdominal aorta of nine mice. Three mice were randomly selected at the end of the first, second, and third weeks postoperatively, and their vessel diameters were measured. The vessel diameter at the end of the first week postoperatively was 0.39 ± 0.03 mm (mean ± SD) pretreatment and 0.41 ± 0.03 mm posttreatment (5.3% increase, P > 0.05). The vessel diameter at the end of the second week postoperatively was 0.48 ± 0.03 mm pretreatment and 0.78 ± 0.20 mm posttreatment (64% increase, P < 0.05). The vessel diameter at the end of the third week postoperatively was 0.57 ± 0.14 mm pretreatment and 1.16 ± 0.43 mm posttreatment (110% increase, P < 0.05). Nine other murine abdominal aortas were treated with sodium chloride, and their vessel diameters were measured in similar 7-day intervals. No measurements in this group were statistically significant when comparing pretreatment to posttreatment vessel diameters. A larger number of inflammatory infiltrates was observed in the intima and media layers of calcium-chloride-treated mice. Underlying mechanisms for this model include disrupting the elastic network within the media by calcium precipitations and activating the inflammatory response. We conclude that periarterial application of calcium chloride is a convenient and reliable model for creating abdominal aortic aneurysms in mice.