Suppression of experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms in mice by treatment with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, an antioxidant inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB

Development and progression of human AAAs is associated with inflammation and enzymatic degradation of connective tissue proteins. MMP-9 is one of the enzymes involved in aneurysm disease, and its production may be induced in part by activation of the transcription factor NF-κB. In this mouse model, treatment with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (a pharmacologic inhibitor of NF-κB) acted to suppress MMP-9 and aneurysm development. It is hoped that treatment strategies that target NF-κB may eventually be shown to suppress the growth of small aortic aneurysms in patients.