Quantification of Atherosclerosis in Mice

Traditionally, studies on the development of atherosclerosis have been performed in animals larger than mice, with a particular preponderance of studies in rabbits. Studies in the mid-1980s began to introduce the mouse as a model for the development of atherosclerosis. The extensive genomic information that was available on inbred mice proved to be attractive in identifying genetic links to atherosclerosis susceptibility. However, it was not until the availability of genetically engineered mice that this species became more widely accepted as a model that mimicked several aspects of the human disease.