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Detection of Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaques in Experimental Atherosclerosis with the USPIO-Enhanced MRI

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Abstract

This study’s goal was to assess the diagnostic value of the USPIO-(ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide) enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detection of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques in abdominal aorta in experimental atherosclerosis. Thirty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into two groups, Group A and Group B. Each group comprised 15 animals which were fed with high cholesterol diet for 8 weeks and then subjected to balloon-induced endothelial injury of the abdominal aorta. After another 8 weeks, animals in Group B received adenovirus carrying p53 gene that was injected through a catheter into the aortic segments rich in plaques. Two weeks later, all rabbits were challenged with the injection of Chinese Russell’s viper venom and histamine. Pre-contrast images and USPIO-enhanced MRI images were obtained after pharmacological triggering with injection of USPIO for 5 days. Blood specimens were taken for biochemical and serological tests at 0 and 18 weeks. Abdominal aorta was histologically studied. The levels of serum ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were quantified by ELISA. Vulnerable plaques appeared as a local hypo-intense signal on the USPIO-enhanced MRI, especially on T2*-weighted sequences. The signal strength of plaques reached the peak at 96 h. Lipid levels were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in both Group A and B compared with the levels before the high cholesterol diet. The ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in Group B compared with Group A. The USPIO-enhanced MRI efficiently identifies vulnerable plaques due to accumulation of USPIO within macrophages in abdominal aorta plaques.

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Abbreviations

USPIO:

Ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

T2*WI:

T2*-weighted imaging

T1WI:

T1-weighted imaging

T2WI:

T2-weighted imaging

PDWI:

Proton density weighted imaging

ICAM-1:

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1

VCAM-1:

Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1

ACS:

Acute coronary syndrome

SNR:

Signal to noise ratio

SI:

Signal interesting

SD:

Standard deviation

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

FSE:

Fast spin echo

TR:

Repetition time

TE:

Echo time

FA:

Flip angle

STIR:

Short time inversion recovery

FFE:

Fast field echo

TC:

Total cholesterols

TG:

Triglycerides

LDL-C:

Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol

HDL-C:

High density lipoprotein-cholesterol

ELISA:

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

SGM:

Susceptibility gradient mapping

VSOP:

Very small iron oxide particle

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the grants for postdoctoral studies (No. 53431002 and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation No. 2012M512177) and Xuzhou Scientific Technology Grant (Nos. XF11C103 and XM13B047).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College, 32 Meijian Road, Xuzhou, 221000, Jiangsu, China

      Chun-mei Qi, Wei-heng Wu, Ji Hao & Lei Gong

    2. Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, China

      Lili Du, Dong-ye Li & Liangrong Deng

    3. Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, China

      Tao Zhang & Chao Zhang

    4. Laboratory of Molecular and Biomolecular Electronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, China

      Yu Zhang

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    1. Chun-mei Qi
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    Correspondence to Chun-mei Qi.

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    Chun-mei Qi, Lili Du and Ji Hao have contributed equally to this work and should be consider co-first authors.

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    Qi, Cm., Du, L., Wu, Wh. et al. Detection of Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaques in Experimental Atherosclerosis with the USPIO-Enhanced MRI. Cell Biochem Biophys 73, 331–337 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12013-015-0591-y

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