Lymphatic insufficiency leads to distinct myocardial infarct content assessed by magnetic resonance TRAFFn, T1ρ and T2 relaxation times

Figures

• 

  Figure 1. Relaxation time maps TRAFF2, TRAFF4, T1ρ and T2 (A–D), respectively, cine (E)- and a corresponding Sirius red (F) and hematoxylin eosin (G) stained section from infarcted TG mouse heart at the last (21 day) time point after the MI. Co-registration between different weightings are done by using the same geometry in each image. Dotted black lines on the relaxation time maps delineate the location of the myocardium, which are based on weighted images and overlayed on the relaxation time maps. Red arrows indicate the infarct area. The blue area in the cine image indicates the left ventricle area in systole and blue and red areas together are the diastole phase of the heart cycle.

• 

  Figure 2. Relaxation times for TG and WT mice as a function of time. Rotating frame relaxation times (A–C) and T2 relaxation time (D). Values represent mean ± SEM. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 for significant differences between TG infarct and remote areas calculated by Two-Way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test for multiple comparisons. Similarly, ’P < 0.05, ’’P < 0.01, ’’’P < 0.001 for significant differences between WT infarct and remote areas calculated by Two-Way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test for multiple comparisons.

• 

  Figure 3. Infarct percentage sizes based on relaxation time maps TRAFF2 (A), TRAFF4 (B), T1ρ (C) and T2 (D) at time points of 3, 7 and 21 days after MI (mean ± sem (%)). The same calculations were done for infarct percentage size determined in Sirius red stained histology sections (bars at days 21 and 42 time points).

• 

  Figure 4. Area of difference (AOD) was determined by subtracting infarct areas based on TRAFF2 (A), TRAFF4 (B) and T1ρ (C) from the area based on T2 at every time point after MI (mean ± sem (%)). The same calculations were done by subtracting exact infarct area from edema area in Sirius red stained histology sections (bars at days 21 and 42 time points). Statistical significance is calculated by Two-Way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test for multiple comparisons (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001).

• 

  Figure 5. An example images from Sirius red stained histology sections from TG (A) and WT (B) mice at 21 days after MI. Black areas in the myocardium indicates the extracellular space, measured by digitally thresholding the empty white space within the myocardium. Red arrows indicate the infarct area.

• 

  Figure 6. Cardiac functionality and functional parameters of TG and WT mice at every time point for stroke volume (A), ejection fraction (B) and LV mass (C). Statistical significance is calculated by Two-Way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test for multiple comparisons (**P < 0.01).