In vivo comparison of atherosclerotic plaque progression with vessel wall strain and blood flow velocity in apoE(-/-) mice with MR microscopy at 17.6 T.
OBJECTIVE
At present, in vivo plaque characterization in mice by MRI is typically limited to the visualization of vascular lesions with no accompanying analysis of vessel wall function. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of atherosclerotic plaque development on the morphological and mechanical characteristics of the aortic vessel wall in a pre-clinical murine model of atherosclerosis.


METHODS
Groups of apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/-)) and C57BL/6J control mice fed a high-fat diet were monitored over a 12-week time period by high-field MRI. Multi-Slice-Multi-Spin-Echo and Phase-Contrast MRI sequences were employed to track changes to aortic vessel wall area, blood flow velocity and distensibility.


RESULTS
After 6- and 12-weeks, significant changes in vessel wall area and circumferential strain were detected in the apoE(-/-) mice relative to the control animals. Blood flow velocity and intravascular lumen remained unchanged in both groups, findings that are in agreement with the theory of positive remodeling of the ascending aorta during plaque progression.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has demonstrated the application of high-field MRI for characterizing the temporal progression of morphological and mechanical changes to murine aortic vasculature associated with atherosclerotic lesion development.
Herold
Volker
V
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Physik 5, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany. vrherold@physik.uni-wuerzburg.de
Wellen
Jeremy
J
Ziener
Christian H
CH
Weber
Thomas
T
Hiller
Karl-Heinz
KH
Nordbeck
Peter
P
Rommel
Eberhard
E
Haase
Axel
A
Bauer
Wolfgang R
WR
Jakob
Peter M
PM
Sarkar
Susanta K
SK
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology*; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008853:Microscopy
D001057:Apolipoproteins E