The development of effective cardiovascular therapeutics to treat or prevent atherosclerosis and restenosis relies on preclinical research using animal models. In Vascular Disease and Injury: Preclinical Studies, a panel of expert clinical researchers offers a practical guide to the key animal models used in vascular disease research. These experts examine critical issues related to vascular disease and injury in five major areas: acute mechanical injury and vascular repair, arterial thrombosis, chronic atherosclerosis, vascular disease in transplanted vessels, and vascular disease in systemic and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Each practically oriented chapter includes equipment lists, current sources for animals, diet, and reagents, schematic diagrams, and, when pertinent, photomicrographs of sample histology. Key points regarding survival strategy, choice of anesthetic and analgesia, and veterinary issues are also provided, as are the basic histopathologic methods for tissue harvesting, fixation, and electron microscopy preparation.
Up-to-date and highly practical, Vascular Disease and Injury: Preclinical Studies provides a comprehensive review that not only illuminates the current status of cardiovascular research, but also offers vascular biologists and cardiologists a detailed how-to guide to the development of the many powerful new therapeutics now emerging.