The 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Harbin the first hospital, Harbin, China.
Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 1;7(1):7032. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-06127-w.
This study used an atherosclerotic rabbit model to investigate the feasibility of quantifying adventitial vasa vasorum (VV) via contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging to identify early atherosclerosis. Recent evidence has linked adventitial VV with atherosclerotic plaque progression and vulnerability. A growth in VV density has been detected preceding intimal thickening and even endothelial dysfunction. In our study, carotid atherosclerosis rabbit models were used, and animals underwent CEUS imaging at the end of the atherosclerotic induction period. Normalized maximal video-intensity enhancement (MVE) was calculated to quantify VV density. After CEUS imaging, animals were euthanized, and their carotids were processed for histopathological analysis following staining for CD31 and VEGF. Adventitial normalized MVE increased as atherosclerosis progressed (p < 0.001), and normalized MVE also progressed, demonstrating a linear correlation with histological findings (r = 0.634, p < 0.001 for VEGF-positive; r = 0.538, p < 0.001 for CD31-positive). Thus, we histologically validated that CEUS imaging can be used to quantify the development of adventitial VV associated with atherosclerosis progression. This method can be used for monitoring the VV to detect early atherosclerosis.
本研究采用动脉粥样硬化兔模型,通过对比增强超声(CEUS)成像来定量检测血管外膜血管(VV),以识别早期动脉粥样硬化。最近的证据表明,血管外膜 VV 与动脉粥样硬化斑块的进展和脆弱性有关。在血管内膜增厚甚至内皮功能障碍之前,已经检测到 VV 密度的增加。在本研究中,我们使用了颈动脉粥样硬化兔模型,在动脉粥样硬化诱导期结束时对动物进行了 CEUS 成像。通过计算标准化最大视频强度增强(MVE)来定量 VV 密度。CEUS 成像后,处死动物,对其颈动脉进行处理,用于 CD31 和 VEGF 染色后的组织病理学分析。随着动脉粥样硬化的进展,血管外膜的标准化 MVE 增加(p<0.001),并且标准化 MVE 也随之进展,与组织学发现呈线性相关(r=0.634,p<0.001,VEGF 阳性;r=0.538,p<0.001,CD31 阳性)。因此,我们从组织学上验证了 CEUS 成像可用于定量检测与动脉粥样硬化进展相关的血管外膜 VV 的发展。该方法可用于监测 VV,以检测早期动脉粥样硬化。
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