Atherosclerosis in Octodon degus as a model for human disease
O. degus have a human-like lipoprotein metabolism and develop extensive atherosclerosis with cholesterol feeding in the presence of hyperglycemia. These features, combined with the manageable size and handling characteristics, point to the potential of the degu as a useful model for atherosclerosis research.
Presence (✓) or absence (−) of AD pathological features is indicated (Braidy et al., 2015). or sporadic AD.
Histological examination of lesions in the brachiocephalic artery showed well-formed, foam cell-rich lesions populated with inflammatory cells. It is also noteworthy that all the degus in this study exhibited hyperglycemia.