The Sugen 5416/hypoxia/normoxia-exposed rat model develops plexiform lesions indistinguishable from human pulmonary arterial hypertension, providing a rigorous model for studying the disease.
Severe, sustained pulmonary hypertension in a very late stage of the Sugen 5416/hypoxia/normoxia-exposed rat is accompanied by the formation of lesions that are indistinguishable from the pulmonary arteriopathy of human pulmonary arterial hypertension. This unique model provides a new and rigorous approach for investigating the genesis, hemodynamic effects, and reversibility of plexiform and other occlusive lesions in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Abe et al. (2010) studied this question.