MRI of early- and late-stage arterial remodeling in a low-level cholesterol-fed rabbit model of atherosclerosis
✍ Scribed by John A. Ronald; Rhonda Walcarius; John F. Robinson; Robert A. Hegele; Brian K. Rutt; Kem A. Rogers
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2007
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 676 KB
- Volume
- 26
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1053-1807
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Purpose
To monitor early‐ and late‐stage arterial remodeling following low‐level cholesterol (CH) feeding in rabbits using a standardized MRI protocol.
Materials and Methods
New Zealand White rabbits were fed a CH diet (0.25% w/w) (n = 15) or normal chow (n = 6) and imaged either at 0, 2, 6, 8, and 11 months (“early‐stage”) or 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 months (“late‐stage”). T2‐weighted fast‐spin‐echo images (≈200 μm in‐plane resolution) of aortic lesions were collected using either a 1.5 or 3.0T MR scanner interfaced with a customized surface RF coil. Luminal (LA), outer vessel wall boundary (OVBA), and vessel wall areas (VWA) were assessed.
Results
Among CH‐fed animals in the early‐stage group, increased VWA associated with decreased OVBA and a more pronounced decrease in LA was first detectable at 8 months. These changes became more evident between 8 and 11 months. In the late‐stage group, lesions continued to grow in response to CH‐feeding, as VWA significantly increased at regular 2‐month intervals. Beyond 16 months, signal intensity differences (reflecting increased lesion complexity) within the vessel wall were noted.
Conclusion
This often‐overlooked rabbit model combined with customized MR technology holds tremendous promise for studying the natural progression, regression, and remodeling of atherosclerotic lesions. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007;26:1010–1019. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.