The rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque is the main underlying cause of coronary artery
thrombotic occlusion and subsequent myocardial infarction, but research into the causes
and treatment of plaque rupture is hampered by the lack of a suitable animal model.
Although complex atherosclerotic plaques can be induced in a number of experimental
animal systems, in none of these is plaque rupture an established feature. We have
surveyed branch points in the carotid arteries and aortas of apolipoprotein E knockout mice …