Surgical Induction of Mid‐Thoracic Aortic Coarctation in Mice: A Reproducible Preclinical Model of Pressure‐Induced Vascular Remodeling

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new mouse model to study how high blood pressure affects blood vessels by surgically creating a controlled pressure gradient in the aorta.

Contribution

A novel and reproducible surgical method for inducing mid-thoracic aortic coarctation in mice to study pressure-specific vascular remodeling.

Findings

The model generates a stable and quantifiable arterial pressure gradient within the same animal.

Radio telemetry and Doppler ultrasound confirm sustained blood pressure differences across the coarctation site.

The model preserves distal perfusion while inducing upstream hypertension.

Abstract

Elevated arterial pressure is a key contributor to cardiovascular disease, yet experimental models that isolate the effects of pressure from confounding systemic factors remain limited. We describe a reproducible surgical protocol to induce mid‐thoracic aortic coarctation in mice, generating a stable and quantifiable arterial pressure gradient within the same animal. Using a biocompatible rubber O‐ring, a partial stenosis is applied to the descending thoracic aorta of anesthetized C57BL/6J mice via thoracotomy. The resulting model establishes upstream hypertension while preserving distal perfusion, enabling the investigation of pressure‐specific effects on vascular structure and perivascular adipose tissue function. Hemodynamic assessment by radio telemetry and high‐frequency Doppler ultrasound confirms significant and sustained gradients in mean and systolic blood pressure across the coarctation site. This model provides a valuable tool for studying pressure‐induced remodeling and vascular biology in a controlled and physiologically relevant context. © 2026 The Author(s). Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Induction of mid‐thoracic aortic coarctation using a rubber O‐ring

Basic Protocol 2: Measurement of arterial pressure gradient using two PA‐C10 radio telemeters

Basic Protocol 3: Measurement of blood flow velocity in the descending thoracic aorta using doppler ultrasound

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