title: High resolution imaging of the fibrous microstructure in bovine common carotid artery using optical polarization tractography.
abstract: The biomechanical properties of artery are primarily determined by the fibrous structures in the vessel wall. Many vascular diseases are associated with alternations in the orientation and alignment of the fibrous structure in the arterial wall. Knowledge on the structural features of the artery wall is crucial to our understanding of the biology of vascular diseases and the development of novel therapies. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and polarization-sensitive OCT have shown great promise in imaging blood vessels due to their high resolution, fast acquisition, good imaging depth, and large field of view. However, the feasibility of using OCT based methods for imaging fiber orientation and distribution in the arterial wall has not been investigated. Here we show that the optical polarization tractography (OPT), a technology developed from Jones matrix OCT, can reveal the fiber orientation and alignment in the bovine common carotid artery. The fiber orientation and alignment data obtained in OPT provided a robust contrast marker to clearly resolve the intima and media boundary of the carotid artery wall. Optical polarization tractography can visualize fiber orientation and alignment in carotid artery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Azinfar
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
authors.forename: Mohammadreza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravanfar
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
authors.forename: Yuanbo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
authors.forename: Keqing
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002417:Cattle; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
keywords: Jones matrix OCT; arterial wall microstructure; fiber orientation and alignment; optical polarization tractography