Neurovascular changes measured by time-of-flight MR angiography in cholesterol-fed rabbits with cortical amyloid beta-peptide accumulation.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that narrowing of cranial blood vessels in cholesterol-fed rabbits is a function of the duration of the high cholesterol diet. Such neurovascular changes, caused by elevated serum cholesterol, are linked to stroke and Alzheimer's disease risk.


METHODS
Four groups of New Zealand White rabbits were studied. Six were fed a normal diet, 19 were fed a 2% cholesterol diet with 0.12 ppm copper in the drinking water for 8 weeks, 10 weeks, or 12 weeks. Time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiography (MRA) at 3 Tesla was used to measure arterial diameters in 11 vessels. Previously published data for amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) accumulation in the brains measured postmortem were correlated to vessel diameters. Ventricular volumes of rabbits were measured on group-averaged data.


RESULTS
Several vessel diameters decreased with cholesterol diet duration. The posterior communicating arteries showed the largest significant effect. Abeta accumulation was inversely correlated with arterial diameter. Ventricular volumes between the normal diet and 12 weeks cholesterol-fed groups were not significantly different.


CONCLUSIONS
Reduction in vessel diameter of medium-sized vessels but not large vessels was measured in these hypercholesterolemic rabbits. The vessel diameter narrowing and cortical Abeta deposition occurred before measurable ventricular enlargement.
Lemieux
Susan K
SK
Social, Life, and Engineering Sciences Imaging Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA. sklemieux@psu.edu
Smith-Bell
Carrie A
CA
Wells
Jered R
JR
Ezerioha
Nnadozie M
NM
Carpenter
Jeffrey S
JS
Sparks
D Larry
DL
Schreurs
Bernard G
BG
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry*; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D012306:Risk; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology*
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D004041:Dietary Fats; D002784:Cholesterol