Measurement of the intimal thickness of the carotid artery: comparison between 40 MHz ultrasound and histology in rats.
Common carotid artery intimal thickness (IT) has been shown to be as useful as a measurement of the whole layer of intima-media thickness (IMT) for evaluating the early phase of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between high echogenic intimal thickening (HEIT), which was measured using a 40 MHz ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM), and the histologically determined IT in rat carotid arteries. HEIT was estimated in 10 Wistar-Kyoto rats (group I), 15 spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) fed a standard diet (group II) and 10 SHR fed a high-fat diet (group III). IT and IMT measurements were determined in Masson trichrome-stained tissues and were compared with the HEIT and IMT evaluated using the UBM. In group I, the HEIT and the IT were 33 +/- 4 microm and 12 +/- 1 mirom, respectively. In group II, the HEIT and the IT were 68 +/- 8 microm and 16 +/- 2 microm, respectively. In group III, the HEIT and the IT were 65 +/- 26 microm and 33 +/- 14 microm, respectively. In SHR, the HEIT and the mean IMT measured with echography were significantly correlated with the IT and the IMT that were determined by histologic measurement (r = 0.60, p = 0.003 and r = 0.53, p = 0.01, respectively). Moreover, HEIT may be associated with the intimal pathology and atherosclerotic burden. The HEIT measurement is a noninvasive method that may be used to assess atherosclerosis in humans.
Choi
Yun-Seok
YS
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Youn
Ho-Joong
HJ
Youn
Jeong-Sook
JS
Park
Chul-Soo
CS
Oh
Yong-Seog
YS
Chung
Wook-Sung
WS
D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D033401:Microscopy, Acoustic / Q000379:methods; D015588:Observer Variation; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*