Micro-CT Technique Is Well Suited for Documentation of Remodeling Processes in Murine Carotid Arteries

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Christoph Schürmann, German Center for Cardiovascular Research; Felix Gremse, RWTH Aachen University; Hanjoong Jo, Emory University; Fabian Kiessling, RWTH Aachen University; Ralf P. Brandes, German Center for Cardiovascular Research
• Language: English
• Date: 2015-06-18
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2015 Schürmann et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130374
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: PLoS ONE
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 6
• Start Page: e0130374
• End Page: e0130374
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by the Goethe-University, the DFG Excellence Cluster 147 ECCPS – excellence cluster cardio-pulmonary system and the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) and the DFG collaborative research centers SFB 815 (TP A1) and SFB 834 (TP A2) to CS.
• Keywords: MODEL; Linear regression analysis; ATHEROSCLEROSIS; Atherosclerosis; Science & Technology - Other Topics; Multidisciplinary Sciences; FLOW; SHRINKAGE; In vivo imaging; Science & Technology; Mouse models; Histology; Carotid arteries; X-ray radiography; Common carotid arteries
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Radiology; Health Sciences, General

Abstract

Background: The pathomechanisms of atherosclerosis and vascular remodelling are under intense research. Only a few in vivo tools to study these processes longitudinally in animal experiments are available. Here, we evaluated the potential of micro-CT technology. Methods: Lumen areas of the common carotid arteries (CCA) in the ApoE^-/- partial carotid artery ligation mouse model were compared between in vivo and ex vivo micro-CT technique and serial histology in a total of 28 animals. AuroVist-15 nm nanoparticles were used as in vivo blood pool contrast agent in a Skyscan 1176 micro-CT at resolution of 18 μmeter voxel size and a mean x-ray dose of 0.5 Gy. For ex vivo imaging, animals were perfused with MicroFil and imaged at 9 μmeter voxel size. Lumen area was evaluated at postoperative days 7, 14, and 28 first by micro-CT followed by histology. Results: In vivo micro-CT and histology revealed lumen loss starting at day 14. The lumen profile highly correlated (r = 0.79, P<0.0001) between this two methods but absolute lumen values obtained by histology were lower than those obtained by micro-CT. Comparison of in vivo and ex vivo micro-CT imaging revealed excellent correlation (r = 0.83, P<0.01). Post mortem micro-CT yielded a higher resolution than in vivo micro-CT but there was no statistical difference of lumen measurements in the partial carotid artery ligation model. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that in vivo micro-CT is a feasible and accurate technique with low animal stress to image remodeling processes in the murine carotid artery.