%0 Journal Article
%T A preclinical ultrasound method for the assessment of vascular disease progression in murine models
%A Baris Kanber
%A Charlotte Beynon
%A David G Lambert
%A Emma J Stringer
%A Justyna Janus
%A Kumar V Ramnarine
%A Michael E Kelly
%A Nilesh J Samani
%A Wadhah Mahbuba
%J Ultrasound
%@ 1743-1344
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/1742271X18793919
%X The efficacy of preclinical ultrasound at providing a quantitative assessment of mouse models of vascular disease is relatively unknown. In this study, preclinical ultrasound was used in combination with a semi-automatic image processing method to track arterial distension alterations in mouse models of abdominal aortic aneurysm and atherosclerosis. Longitudinal B-mode ultrasound images of the abdominal aorta were acquired using a preclinical ultrasound scanner. Arterial distension was assessed using a semi-automatic image processing algorithm to track vessel wall motion over the cardiac cycle. A standard, manual analysis method was applied for comparison. Mean arterial distension was significantly lower in abdominal aortic aneurysm mice between day 0 and day 7 post-onset of disease (p£¿<£¿0.01) and between day 0 and day 14 (p£¿<£¿0.001), while no difference was observed in sham control mice. Manual analysis detected a significant decrease (p£¿<£¿0.05) between day 0 and day 14 only. Atherosclerotic mice showed alterations in arterial distension relating to genetic modification and diet. Arterial distension was significantly lower (p£¿<£¿0.05) in Ldlr£¿/£¿ (++/£¿£¿) mice fed high-fat western diet when compared with both wild type (++/++) mice and Ldlr£¿/£¿ (++/£¿£¿) mice fed chow diet. The manual method did not detect a significant difference between these groups. Arterial distension can be used as an early marker for the detection of arterial disease in murine models. The semi-automatic analysis method provided increased sensitivity to differences between experimental groups when compared to the manual analysis method
%K Vessel wall-motion
%K animal models
%K diagnostic imaging
%K in£¿vivo
%K high-frequency ultrasound
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1742271X18793919