Qualitative And Quantitative Study Of Atherosclerotic Elastic Arteries With IVUS And OCT

Objectives: Experimental Study of intravascular ultrasound and optical cohelence tomogophy imaging technique in diagnosis of atherosclerosis.Methods: The healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into two groups, (n=20, weight2.5-3.5kg, 4 month old) two groups were fed a cholesterol-supplemented diet and one group were subject to balloon catheter injury of the abdominalaorta by femoral artery. And three New Zealand rabbits were fed ordinary diet. The abdominal aorta were observed by IVUS and OCT in both groups in order to determined whether there was atherosclerosis of the rabbit model. The boundary of intima, media and plaque was demarcated. The thickness was measured and the quality of plaque was identified. At the same time, the corresponding sites of artery which were observed by IVUS and OCT were got for histological examination. The arteries were also judged whether there was atherosclerosis, and the intima, media and plaque were measured by micrometer. Results of IVUS and OCT were compared with histological examination and their correlation was calculated.Results: Comparing with cholesterol-supplemented diet group , balloon catheter injury group , the typical carotid atherosclerosis was observed. The neoiniimal thickening and plaque were signficant in two groups and the P/IM ratio reached 0 .56±9.4 and 0 .99 ±26.9.Comparing with pathological examination, there was no statistical significance in determining whether atheroscleros is existed with IVUS and OCT(P>0.05), For the measurement of the stenosis ratio of vessel, the two methods have a good correlation(P>0.05), but for the measurement of intima, the two methods had a poor correlation(P<0.05).There was also statistical significance in determining the quality of plaque with IVUS and OCT (p<005).Conclusions: The typical carotid atherosclerosis lesion can induced by cholesterol-diet plus balloon catheter injury of the abdominalaorta in rabbit. IVUS canbe used to judge whether atherosclerosis(AS)exists at elastic arteries correctly, even in the very early stage of AS. It is more important that the quality and thickness of a therosclerotic Plaque can determ ined accurately. The thickness of media can be measured relatively correctly. However the intimal thickness of elastic artery could be over estimated greatly by IVUS. OCT imaging can clearly visualize different types of atherosclerotic plaques, and providing detailed information on plaque characteristics.