Six-week-old male C57/BL6J mice (weighting ~18-20 g) were supplied by the Shenyang Military Region General Hospital Experimental Animal Center. The mice were fed a standard diet and had unlimited access to drinking water. After 2 weeks of feeding, the mice were randomly assigned to TAC group (n = 15) and SHAM group (n = 16), and then anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg pentobarbital sodium. To allow direct access to the transverse aorta, the mice a horizontal incision (5 mm in length) was made at the suprasternal notch. TAC operation was then performed by ligating the aorta between the right innominate and left carotid arteries using a 27G needle tied with 7-0 silk suture. The needle was promptly withdrawn, leaving the aortic constriction in place. The surgical procedure of mice in SHAM group was similar to that of mice in TAC group, except that the 7-0 silk suture was only crossed through the aortic arch without ligation.