Roles of the WHHL rabbit in translational research on hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular diseases.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of animal models with no original human clinical data
PubMed 21541231 · doi:10.1155/2011/406473
What was done
This narrative review synthesizes the development, physiological characteristics, and translational applications of Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) and myocardial infarction-prone (WHHLMI) rabbit models in hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular drug development.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative values or statistical metrics. It describes how rabbit lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerotic lesion development more closely mirror human biology than rodent models, highlighting that WHHL rabbits spontaneously develop hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis due to LDL receptor deficiency, while the WHHLMI strain additionally develops myocardial infarction.
Why it matters
The paper outlines the rationale for selecting specific rabbit genetic strains over rodent models when evaluating translational anti-atherosclerotic and lipid-lowering therapies.
Limits
The paper is a narrative overview rather than a systematic review. It evaluates preclinical animal models without presenting novel experimental data, structured study counts, or direct human clinical outcome measurements.
Cited by
- supports Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits have a genetic LDL receptor defect causing spontaneous arterial disease development without a high-fat diet.