Andrea Magali Fletes | March 5th, 2025
Besides being irresistibly cozy, fluffy, and having a lovable nature, rabbits contribute to contemporary society more than simply placing a smile on someone’s face. It turns out rabbits have physiological similarities to humans, making them invaluable models in biomedical study. Rabbits are in fact the greatest contributor towards advancements in cardiovascular disease research, especially for a particular chronic disease known as atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is a thickening and hardening of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque (fat, cholesterol, and other waste products). Over 18.3 million adults in the United States have atherosclerosis, making it crucial for researchers and doctors to refine their knowledge of this disease and develop treatments for it. According to the National Library of Medicine, rabbits were the first animal used for studying human atherosclerosis, and for good reason. Their contribution to cardiovascular disease investigation and translational research is just as profound as the work scientists pursue upon.
Protected by the U.S Animal Welfare Act (AWA), rabbits are housed in research institutions and observed for these particular diseases because of their fast-paced lipoprotein metabolism. Rabbits have highly sensitive diets, so any small excess of cholesterol stimulates a spike in their triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, leading to deposits of plaque. Because of this, rabbits are the ideal models for researching these effects, as the slower pace of human metabolism makes it arduous to observe such processes within a practical timeframe. Thanks to rabbits, hyperlipidemia and many cardiovascular diseases are more readily understood by healthcare professionals.
References
Fan, J., Kitajima, S., Watanabe, T., Xu, J., Zhang, J., Liu, E., & Chen, Y. E. (2015, February). Rabbit models for the study of human atherosclerosis: From pathophysiological mechanisms to translational medicine. Pharmacology & therapeutics. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4304984/
Klimchak, P. C., Patel, M. Y., Iorga, S. R., Kulkarni, N., & Wong, N. D. (2020, May 1). Lipid treatment and goal attainment characteristics among persons with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the United States. American Journal of Preventive Cardiology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666667720300106#:~:text=Highlights&text=The%20prevale
Rabbit. Understanding Animal Research. (n.d.). https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/using-animals-in-scientific-research/animal-research-species/rabbit#:~:text=The%20Rabbit%20immune%20system%20is,without%20harm%20to%20the%20animal.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). PMC Home. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/