Summary: | Hypertension is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. However, few models of hypertensive atherosclerosis have been established in medical research. In this study, we crossed the <i>ApoE</i> knockout (<i>ApoE</i>-KO; <i>ApoE<sup>−/−</sup></i>) atherosclerotic mouse model with the <i>NOS3</i> knockout (<i>NOS3</i>-KO; <i>NOS3<sup>−/−</sup></i>) hypertensive mouse model to establish an <i>ApoE/NOS3</i> double knockout (<i>ApoE/NOS3</i>-KO; <i>ApoE/NOS3<sup>−/−</sup></i>) hypertensive atherosclerosis mouse model. We found that <i>ApoE/NOS3<sup>−/−</sup></i> mice reproduced normally, had a blood pressure of 133.00 ± 3.85 mmHg, and developed hypertensive fundus retinopathy and hypertensive nephropathy. In addition, serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in the blood were abnormally elevated, steatosis was observed in the liver cells, and atherosclerotic lesions were observed in the aortic vessels in <i>ApoE/NOS3<sup>−/−</sup></i> adult mice. In conclusion, <i>ApoE/NOS3<sup>−/−</sup></i> adult mice are a satisfactory model of hypertension and atherosclerosis and can be utilized for studies on cardiovascular diseases.
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