TY - JOUR
T1 - Altered myocardial microvascular 3D architecture in experimental hypercholesterolemia
AU - Rodriguez-Porcel, Martin
AU - Lerman, Amir
AU - Ritman, Erik L.
AU - Wilson, Stephanie H.
AU - Best, Patricia J.M.
AU - Lerman, Lilach O.
PY - 2000/10/24
Y1 - 2000/10/24
N2 - Background - Experimental hypercholesterolemia (HC) impairs intramyocardial microvascular function. However, whether this is associated with alterations in microvascular architecture remained unknown. Using a novel 3D micro-CT scanner, we tested the hypothesis that HC is associated with an alteration in the microvascular architecture. Methods and Results - Pigs were euthanized after 12 weeks of either normal (n=6) or 2% HC (n=6) diet. The hearts were excised and the coronary arteries injected with a radiopaque contrast material. Myocardial samples were scanned with micro-CT, and 3D images were reconstructed with 21-μm cubic voxels. The myocardium was tomographically subdivided into subepicardium and subendocardium, and microvessels (<500 μm in diameter) were counted in situ within each region. In the subendocardium of HC pigs, the intramyocardial density of microvessels was significantly higher than in normal animals (1221.4±199.7 versus 758.3±90.8 vessels/cm3, P<0.05) because of an increase in the number of microvessels <200 μm in diameter (1214.4±199.7 versus 746.6±101.5 vessels/cm3, P<0.05). The subepicardial vascular density was similar in both groups. Conclusions - HC has differential effects on the spatial density of the subendocardial microvasculature that may play a role in regulation and/or spatial distribution of myocardial blood flow. This study also demonstrates the feasibility of studying myocardial microvascular architecture with micro-CT in pathophysiological states.
AB - Background - Experimental hypercholesterolemia (HC) impairs intramyocardial microvascular function. However, whether this is associated with alterations in microvascular architecture remained unknown. Using a novel 3D micro-CT scanner, we tested the hypothesis that HC is associated with an alteration in the microvascular architecture. Methods and Results - Pigs were euthanized after 12 weeks of either normal (n=6) or 2% HC (n=6) diet. The hearts were excised and the coronary arteries injected with a radiopaque contrast material. Myocardial samples were scanned with micro-CT, and 3D images were reconstructed with 21-μm cubic voxels. The myocardium was tomographically subdivided into subepicardium and subendocardium, and microvessels (<500 μm in diameter) were counted in situ within each region. In the subendocardium of HC pigs, the intramyocardial density of microvessels was significantly higher than in normal animals (1221.4±199.7 versus 758.3±90.8 vessels/cm3, P<0.05) because of an increase in the number of microvessels <200 μm in diameter (1214.4±199.7 versus 746.6±101.5 vessels/cm3, P<0.05). The subepicardial vascular density was similar in both groups. Conclusions - HC has differential effects on the spatial density of the subendocardial microvasculature that may play a role in regulation and/or spatial distribution of myocardial blood flow. This study also demonstrates the feasibility of studying myocardial microvascular architecture with micro-CT in pathophysiological states.
KW - Hypercholesterolemia
KW - Microcirculation
KW - Tomography
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U2 - 10.1161/01.CIR.102.17.2028
DO - 10.1161/01.CIR.102.17.2028
M3 - Article
C2 - 11044415
AN - SCOPUS:0034711159
SN - 0009-7322
VL - 102
SP - 2028
EP - 2030
JO - Circulation
JF - Circulation
IS - 17
ER -