RT Journal Article T1 Experimental evidence of the genetic hypothesis on the etiology of bicuspid aortic valve aortopathy in the hamster model A1 Soto-Navarrete, María Teresa A1 Pozo-Vilumbrales, Bárbara A1 López-Unzu, Miguel A. A1 Rueda Martinez, Maria Del Carmen A1 Fernández-Domínguez, María Carmen A1 Durán-Boyero, Ana Carmen A1 Pavón-Morón, Francisco Javier A1 Rodríguez Capitán, Jorge A1 Fernández-Corujo, Borja K1 Válvula aórtica AB Bicuspid aortopathy occurs in approximately 50% of patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), the most prevalent congenital cardiac malformation. Although different molecular players and etiological factors (genetic and hemodynamic) have been suggested to be involved in aortopathy predisposition and progression, clear etiophysiopathological mechanisms ofdisease are still missing. The isogenic (genetically uniform) hamster (T) strain shows 40% incidence of BAV, but aortic dilatations have not been detected in this model. We have performed comparative anatomical, histological and molecular analyses of the ascending aorta of animals with tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) and BAV from the T strain (TTAV and TBAV, respectively) andwith TAV from a control strain (HTAV). Aortic diameter, smooth muscle apoptosis, elastic waviness, and Tgf-b and Fbn-2 expression were significantly increased in T strain animals, regardless of the valve morphology. Strain and aortic valve morphology did not affect Mmp-9 expression, whereas Mmp-2 transcripts were reduced in BAV animals. eNOS protein amountdecreased in both TBAV and TTAV compared to HTAV animals. Thus, histomorphological and molecular alterations of the ascending aorta appear in a genetically uniform spontaneous hamster model irrespective of the aortic valve morphology. This is a direct experimental evidence supporting the genetic association between BAV and aortic dilatation. This model mayrepresent a population of patients with predisposition to BAV aortopathy, in which increased expression of Tgf-b and Fbn-2 alters elastic lamellae structure and induces cell apoptosis mediated by eNOS. Patients either with TAV or BAV with the same genetic defect may show the same risk to develop bicuspid aortopathy. PB Frontiers YR 2022 FD 2022 LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/30109 UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/30109 LA eng NO Soto-Navarrete MT, Pozo-Vilumbrales B, López-Unzu MÁ, Rueda-Martínez C, Fernández MC, Durán AC, Pavón-Morón FJ, Rodríguez-Capitán J and Fernández B (2022) Experimental evidence of the genetic hypothesis on the etiology of bicuspid aortic valve aortopathy in the hamster model. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 9:928362. NO Consejería de Salud y Familias, Junta de Andalucía (PI-0530-2019), Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento, Junta de Andalucía (UMA20-FEDERJA-041), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (grants CGL2017-85090-P and PT20/00101, fellowship PRE2018-083176), and FEDER funds. DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga RD 21 ene 2026