Key result
High-fat diet and balloon injury successfully induce MRI-detectable carotid plaque hemorrhage in rabbits.
A modified rabbit model combining a high-fat diet and balloon catheter injury successfully induces carotid atherosclerotic plaques that can be evaluated by MRI, providing a feasible model for stroke studies.
May enable refined rabbit models for stroke research; leaves open translation to human carotid plaque studies.
In order to induce a modified rabbit model of carotid atherosclerotic plaque suitable for the stroke study and to evaluate the lesion with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Eight rabbits of group A were fed with high-fat diet only. Atherosclerosis at the right common carotid artery was induced in rabbits of group B (n = 12) by high-fat diet and balloon catheter injury to the endothelium 4 weeks later. The rabbits were examined in vivo with a 1.5-T MRI. After 4 weeks on the high-fat diet, the serum lipid levels were markedly increased, which became significantly higher than the baseline levels. The lesions on both MRI and histology were remarkable. One week after balloon injury, the signal of injured right common carotid was higher on all the contrast-weighted images than the left side. The extent of abnormal signal was reduced 9 weeks after balloon injury. Hemorrhage was detected on all the contrast-weighted images. In conclusion, the rabbit model established by the authors is such a feasible one to the study of stroke caused by carotid atherosclerosis.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Fei et al. (2011) studied Carotid atherosclerotic plaque (n=20). High-fat diet and balloon catheter injury vs. High-fat diet only was evaluated on MRI and histology evaluation of carotid atherosclerotic plaque. A modified rabbit model using a high-fat diet and balloon catheter injury successfully induced carotid atherosclerotic plaque with hemorrhage detectable by 1.5-T MRI.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: