A Modified Method of β-Aminopropionitrile Combined with Angiotensin Ⅱ to Establish an Aortic Dissection Model in Mice

ObjectiveTo explore an improved method for constructing a mouse model of aortic dissection (AD).MethodsAD was induced by the simultaneous administration of β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) with angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang-Ⅱ) for 16 days in mice. One hundred 6-week-old male C57B1/6J mice were randomly divided into BAPN (BAPN 0.1 g•kg-1•d-1 + 0.9% saline), BAPN+Ang-Ⅱ (BAPN 0.1 g•kg-1•d-1 + Ang-Ⅱ), and control groups. BAPN (0.1 g•kg-1•d-1), freshly prepared and dissolved in drinking water, was administered to all mice in the BAPN and BAPN + Ang-Ⅱ groups for 16 days. Mice in the BAPN+Ang-Ⅱ group were treated with an additional subcutaneous injection of Ang-Ⅱ for 16 days. The concentration of Ang-Ⅱ was halved from 1.5 mg•kg-1•d-1 every week until it was set at 0.375 mg•kg-1•d-1 on day 15, and then maintained. The daily water intake and body weight were recorded from the beginning until the end of the study. If a mouse died during the experiment, an autopsy was performed to analyze the cause of death. On day 17, the mice were sacrificed, and each aorta was harvested. The formation of the aortic false lumen was observed pathologically using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining.ResultsCompared with the control group, the amount of water consumed and body weight in the BAPN+Ang-Ⅱ and BAPN groups were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). In the control group, the incidence of dissection and mortality was 0.0%. In the BAPN group, the incidence of AD and the mortality was 7.5% and 2.5%, respectively. In the BAPN+Ang-Ⅱ group, the incidence of AD and the mortality was 80.0% and 30.0%, respectively. Interestingly, the deaths in the BAPN+Ang-Ⅱ group occurred frequently at 1-3 days after dose adjustment, and 83.3% of the mice died a few minutes after the operation.ConclusionThis modified method for constructing an AD mouse model induced by BAPN drinking combined with Ang-Ⅱ subcutaneous injection was replicable, regular, effective, cheap, and quick.