title: Histological correlate of a cardiac magnetic resonance imaged microvascular obstruction in a porcine model of ischemia-reperfusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microvascular obstruction after reperfusion therapy of acute myocardial infarction is reported as an adverse promoter of left ventricular remodeling and is an important target to prevent deterioration into heart failure. In this study, we illustrate the early onset of a magnetic resonance imaged microvascular obstruction in a porcine model of acute myocardial infarction with the exact histological correlate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by 3-h reperfusion was performed in 10 pigs. Microvascular obstruction was assessed by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). After sacrifice, serial sectioned slices of the hearts matching the MRI were stained with Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC). Biopsies were fixed, embedded in paraffin, and stained for hematoxylin-eosin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microvascular obstruction was defined with MRI as a hypoenhanced no-reflow area within the hyperenhanced infarct region. Erythrocyte plugging was consistently observed in the no-reflow area and was completely absent in the adjacent hyperenhanced infarct region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This model of acute ischemia-reperfusion contributes to the histological comprehension of contrast-enhanced MRI during the early stages of myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, B3000 Leuven, Belgium. ronald.driesen@med.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Ronald B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Driesen
authors.forename: Jaroslaw
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zalewski
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vanden Driessche
authors.forename: Kristel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bogaert
authors.forename: Karin R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Sipido
authors.forename: Frans
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van de Werf
authors.forename: Piet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Claus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008833:Microcirculation; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D013552:Swine; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; C009591:triphenyltetrazolium