title: Effect of rosuvastatin on atherosclerotic plaque stability: An intravascular ultrasound elastography study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to investigate the effect of potent rosuvastatin therapy on plaque mechanical stabilization as seen on IVUSE.
  
  
  METHODS
  14 purebred New Zealand rabbits were fed a high-cholesterol diet; the abdominal aorta endothelium was balloon-injured after 2 weeks; at week 13, 7 rabbits received rosuvastatin (1.5 mg/kg/day), and the other 7 received an equal volume of saline. IVUS images of abdominal aortas were acquired, and 2 consecutive frames near the end-diastole images in situ were used to construct an IVUS elastogram.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Control rabbits showed a significant increase in shear strain (SS) and area strain (AS) in total plaques. The rosuvastatin group showed no change in SS and AS, but serum TG and LDL-C levels were reduced, with less lipid deposition, macrophage infiltration, production of proinflammatory cytokines and apoptosis in plaques. The changes in SS and AS from baseline between groups significantly differed (SS: 1.15 (1.96) % vs. -0.99 ± 2.83%, p = 0.013; AS: 1.25 (2.29) % vs. -1.67 ± 5.05%, p = 0.022). At follow-up, for controls, strain values were increased in the shoulder of eccentric plaques (SS: 2.66 ± 1.31% vs. 4.86 ± 1.93%, p = 0.016; AS: 4.45 ± 2.33% vs. 7.91 ± 2.74%, p = 0.009) but not the plaque body. Changes in SS and AS in the plaque shoulder differed between the control and rosuvastatin groups (SS: 2.20 ± 2.17% vs. -0.87 ± 3.31%, p = 0.028; AS: 2.10 (4.61) % vs. -2.75 ± 5.97%, p = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rosuvastatin therapy in rabbits with atherosclerotic plaques led to less vulnerable plaque features. IVUSE is a very sensitive technique for detecting pharmacologically-induced mechanical changes in rabbit atherosclerotic plaques.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhaohuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China.
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China.
authors.forename: Yifei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China.
authors.forename: Xinxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China.
authors.forename: Mingjun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China. Electronic address: daixh@vip.sina.com.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal; D050197:Atherosclerosis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011817:Rabbits; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012421:Rupture; D033081:Shear Strength; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium
keywords: Area strain; Intravascular ultrasonic elastography; Rabbit model; Rosuvastatin; Shear strain; Vulnerable plaque