title: Micro-CT Technique Is Well Suited for Documentation of Remodeling Processes in Murine Carotid Arteries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pathomechanisms of atherosclerosis and vascular remodelling are under intense research. Only a few in vivo tools to study these processes longitudinally in animal experiments are available. Here, we evaluated the potential of micro-CT technology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lumen areas of the common carotid arteries (CCA) in the ApoE-/- partial carotid artery ligation mouse model were compared between in vivo and ex vivo micro-CT technique and serial histology in a total of 28 animals. AuroVist-15 nm nanoparticles were used as in vivo blood pool contrast agent in a Skyscan 1176 micro-CT at resolution of 18 μmeter voxel size and a mean x-ray dose of 0.5 Gy. For ex vivo imaging, animals were perfused with MicroFil and imaged at 9 μmeter voxel size. Lumen area was evaluated at postoperative days 7, 14, and 28 first by micro-CT followed by histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In vivo micro-CT and histology revealed lumen loss starting at day 14. The lumen profile highly correlated (r = 0.79, P<0.0001) between this two methods but absolute lumen values obtained by histology were lower than those obtained by micro-CT. Comparison of in vivo and ex vivo micro-CT imaging revealed excellent correlation (r = 0.83, P<0.01). Post mortem micro-CT yielded a higher resolution than in vivo micro-CT but there was no statistical difference of lumen measurements in the partial carotid artery ligation model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data demonstrate that in vivo micro-CT is a feasible and accurate technique with low animal stress to image remodeling processes in the murine carotid artery.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Kardiovaskuläre Physiologie, Fachbereich Medizin der Goethe-Universität, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner site RheinMain, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schürmann
authors.affiliation: Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gremse
authors.affiliation: Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Hanjoong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.affiliation: Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kiessling
authors.affiliation: Institut für Kardiovaskuläre Physiologie, Fachbereich Medizin der Goethe-Universität, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner site RheinMain, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Brandes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D066253:Vascular Remodeling; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography