High-Frequency Murine Ultrasound Provides Enhanced Metrics of BAPN-Induced AAA Growth.

In this study, we worked to evaluate additional distinguishing factors between growing and stable murine aneurysms toward the aim of eventually improving clinical rupture risk assessment. By utilizing a relatively new mouse model that combines surgical application of topical elastase to cause initial aortic expansion, and a lysyl oxidase inhibitor, β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN), in the drinking water, we were able to create large AAAs that expanded over 28 days. We further sought to develop and demonstrate applications of advanced imaging approaches, including four-dimensional ultrasound (4DUS), to evaluate alternative geometric and biomechanical parameters between 1) growing AAAs, 2) stable AAAs, and 3) non-aneurysmal control mice. Our study confirmed the reproducibility of this murine model and found reduced circumferential strain values, greater tortuosity, and increased elastin degradation in mice with aneurysms. We also found expanding murine AAAs had increased peak wall stress and surface area per length compared to stable aneurysms. The results from this work provide clear growth patterns associated with BAPN-elastase murine aneurysms and demonstrate the capabilities of high-frequency ultrasound. These data could help lay the groundwork for improving insight into clinical prediction of AAA expansion. PMID: 31559828 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology - Category: Physiology Authors: Tags: Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol Source Type: research