MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS

描述（改编自申请人摘要）：心血管疾病 是我们国家的主要死因， 1998年， 美国的 必须更好地了解这种疾病， 能够评估预防和治疗方法。 为了实现这个目标，动物 模型提供了一种研究发病机制和干预效果的手段， 以高度可控和可重复的方式。 非侵入性成像 动物模型中的动脉粥样硬化大大减少了动物的数量 为了评估统计上的重大变化。 该项目集中于先进的开发和验证 磁共振成像方法，以非侵入性地量化进展 和动脉粥样硬化的消退，这可能是最好的动物模型， 动脉粥样硬化 这个模型是一只经过基因工程改造的老鼠 发展成高胆固醇血症 复杂的动脉粥样硬化病变， 这种小鼠的基因型与人类非常相似。 的大小 在该模型中形成的动脉和动脉粥样硬化病变需要 显微成像方法的发展，这是本建议的目的 工作 作为这项工作的一部分开发的技术将具有广泛的 适用于小动物的成像。 特别是， 对心血管系统进行成像，包括将运动 将开发补偿技术。 此外，基线（非 将建立该模型的疾病）外观，并且将建立动脉粥样化的图像。 将与组织病理学相关。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the applicant's abstract): Cardiovascular disease is our nation's leading cause of death, resulting in an average of one death every 33 seconds and costing an estimated $274,000,000,000 in 1998 in the United States. It is imperative to better understand this disease and to be able to assess prevention and treatment methods. Towards this goal, animal models provide a means to study the pathogenesis and effects of intervention in a highly controlled and reproducible fashion. Noninvasive imaging of atherosclerosis in animal models greatly decreases the number of animals needed in order to assess statistically significant changes. This project concentrates on the development and validation of advanced magnetic resonance imaging methods to noninvasively quantify the progression and regression of atherosclerosis in what is probably the best animal model of atherosclerosis. This model is a mouse that has been genetically engineered to develop hypercholesterolemia. The complex atherosclerosis lesions that form in this mouse are very similar to those found in humans. The size of the arteries and the atherosclerotic lesions that form in this model necessitate the development of microimaging methods that are the purpose of this proposed work. The techniques developed as part of this work would have broad applicability to the imaging of small animals. In particular, the means to image the cardiovascular system, including the incorporation of motion compensating techniques, will be developed. In addition, the baseline (non- disease) appearance for this model will be established and images of atheroma will be correlated with histopathology.