Worthley S G, Helft G, Fuster V, Fayad Z A, Fallon J T, Osende J I, Roqué M, Shinnar M, Zaman A G, Rodriguez O J, Verhallen P, Badimon J J
Cardiovascular Biology Research Laboratory, Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, One Gustave L. Levy Place, P.O. Box 1030, 10029-6574, New York, NY, USA.
Atherosclerosis. 2000 Jun;150(2):321-9. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9150(99)00386-x.
Atherosclerotic plaque composition is central to the pathogenesis of plaque disruption and acute thrombosis. Thus, there is a need for accurate imaging and characterization of atherosclerotic lesions. Even though there is no ideal animal model of atherosclerosis, the porcine model is considered to most closely resemble human atherosclerosis. We report the feasibility of MR imaging and characterizing of atherosclerotic lesions from in situ coronary arteries and aortas in an ex vivo setting and validate this with histopathology. Coronary and aortic atherosclerosis was induced in Yucatan mini-swine (n=4) by a combination of atherogenic diet (6 months) and balloon injury. All coronary arteries were imaged ex vivo on the intact heart, preserving the curvature of their course. The aorta also underwent MR imaging. The MR images were correlated with the matched histopathology sections for both the coronary arteries (n=54) and the aortas (n=43). MR imaging accurately characterized complex atherosclerotic lesions, including calcified, lipid rich, fibrocellular and hemorrhagic regions. Mean wall thickness for the coronary arteries (r=0.94, slope: 0.81) and aortas (r=0.94, slope: 0.81) as well as aortic plaque area (r=0.97, slope: 0.90) was accurately determined by MR imaging (P<0.0001). Coronary artery MR imaging is not limited by the curvature of the coronary arteries in the heart. MR imaging accurately quantifies and characterizes coronary and aortic atherosclerotic lesions, including the vessel wall, in this experimental porcine model of complex atherosclerosis. This model may be useful for future study of MR imaging of atherosclerosis in vivo.
动脉粥样硬化斑块的组成是斑块破裂和急性血栓形成发病机制的核心。因此，需要对动脉粥样硬化病变进行准确的成像和特征描述。尽管目前尚无理想的动脉粥样硬化动物模型，但猪模型被认为与人类动脉粥样硬化最为相似。我们报告了在体外对原位冠状动脉和主动脉的动脉粥样硬化病变进行磁共振成像和特征描述的可行性，并通过组织病理学进行了验证。通过致动脉粥样硬化饮食（6个月）和球囊损伤相结合的方法，在尤卡坦小型猪（n = 4）中诱导冠状动脉和主动脉粥样硬化。所有冠状动脉在完整心脏上进行体外成像，保留其走行的曲率。主动脉也进行了磁共振成像。将磁共振图像与冠状动脉（n = 54）和主动脉（n = 43）的匹配组织病理学切片进行关联。磁共振成像准确地对复杂的动脉粥样硬化病变进行了特征描述，包括钙化、富含脂质、纤维细胞和出血区域。通过磁共振成像准确测定了冠状动脉（r = 0.94，斜率：0.81）和主动脉（r = 0.94，斜率：0.81）的平均壁厚度以及主动脉斑块面积（r = 0.97，斜率：0.90）（P < 0.0001）。冠状动脉磁共振成像不受心脏中冠状动脉曲率的限制。在这个复杂动脉粥样硬化的实验猪模型中，磁共振成像能够准确地量化和描述冠状动脉和主动脉粥样硬化病变，包括血管壁。该模型可能对未来体内动脉粥样硬化磁共振成像研究有用。
