Recommendations for Design, Execution, and Reporting of Studies on Experimental Thoracic Aortopathy in Preclinical Models

Alan Daugherty¹, Dianna M Milewicz², David A Dichek³, Ketan B Ghaghada^{4

5}, Jay D Humphrey⁶, Scott A LeMaire^{7

8}, Yanming Li⁷, Ziad Mallat^{9

10}, Yvan Saeys¹¹, Hisashi Sawada¹, Ying H Shen⁷, Toru Suzuki^{12

13}, Zhen Zhou²; Leducq Network on Cellular and Molecular Drivers of Acute Aortic Dissections

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology, Saha Cardiovascular Research Center, Saha Aortic Center, University of Kentucky (A.D., H.S.).
² Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (D.M.M., Z.Z.).
³ Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle (D.A.D.).
⁴ Department of Radiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston (K.B.G.).
⁵ Department of Radiology (K.B.G.), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
⁶ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.D.H.).
⁷ Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery and Cardiovascular Research Institute (S.A.L., Y.L., Y.H.S.), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
⁸ Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Geisinger College of Health Sciences, Danville, PA (S.A.L.).
⁹ Division of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (Z.M.).
¹⁰ Inserm U970, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, Unversité de Paris, France (Z.M.).
¹¹ Data Mining and Modelling for Biomedicine, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Belgium (Y.S.).
¹² Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester and NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, United Kingdom (T.S.).
¹³ Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan (T.S.).

PMID: 40079138
PMCID: PMC12018150 (available on 2026-05-01)
DOI: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.124.320259

Review

Recommendations for Design, Execution, and Reporting of Studies on Experimental Thoracic Aortopathy in Preclinical Models

Alan Daugherty et al. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2025 May.

. 2025 May;45(5):609-631.

doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.124.320259. Epub 2025 Mar 13.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology, Saha Cardiovascular Research Center, Saha Aortic Center, University of Kentucky (A.D., H.S.).
² Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (D.M.M., Z.Z.).
³ Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle (D.A.D.).
⁴ Department of Radiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston (K.B.G.).
⁵ Department of Radiology (K.B.G.), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
⁶ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.D.H.).
⁷ Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery and Cardiovascular Research Institute (S.A.L., Y.L., Y.H.S.), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
⁸ Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Geisinger College of Health Sciences, Danville, PA (S.A.L.).
⁹ Division of Cardiorespiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (Z.M.).
¹⁰ Inserm U970, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, Unversité de Paris, France (Z.M.).
¹¹ Data Mining and Modelling for Biomedicine, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Belgium (Y.S.).
¹² Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester and NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, United Kingdom (T.S.).
¹³ Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan (T.S.).

PMID: 40079138
PMCID: PMC12018150 (available on 2026-05-01)
DOI: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.124.320259

Abstract

There is a recent dramatic increase in research on thoracic aortic diseases that includes aneurysms, dissections, and rupture. Experimental studies predominantly use mice in which aortopathy is induced by chemical interventions, genetic manipulations, or both. Many parameters should be deliberated in experimental design in concert with multiple considerations when providing dimensional data and characterization of aortic tissues. The purpose of this review is to provide recommendations on guidance in (1) the selection of a mouse model and experimental conditions for the study, (2) parameters for standardizing detection and measurements of aortic diseases, (3) meaningful interpretation of characteristics of diseased aortic tissue, and (4) reporting standards that include rigor and transparency.

Keywords: aneurysm; aorta; dissection; mice; research design.

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Conflict of interest statement

S.A. LeMaire consults for Cerus and has served as a principal investigator for clinical studies sponsored by Terumo Aortic and CytoSorbents. A. Daugherty consults for Regeneron. The other authors report no conflicts.

References

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Recommendations for Design, Execution, and Reporting of Studies on Experimental Thoracic Aortopathy in Preclinical Models

Affiliations

Recommendations for Design, Execution, and Reporting of Studies on Experimental Thoracic Aortopathy in Preclinical Models

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources