A variety of imaging methods can be used in the diagnosis of atherosclerotic plaques. In the present study, we investigated the morphology and composition of atherosclerotic plaque associated with ischemic cerebral infarction by comparing gemstone spectral computed tomography (GSCT) and traditional multi-slice CT (MSCT). In total, 200 patients were enrolled and divided into the experimental gro...

The prevalence of atherosclerotic disease continues to increase, and despite significant reductions in major cardiovascular events with current medical interventions, an additional therapeutic window exists. Atherosclerotic plaque growth is a complex integration of cholesterol penetration, inflammatory cell infiltration, vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration, and neovascular invasion. A ...

Invasive angiography has been widely accepted as the gold standard to diagnose cardiovascular pathologies. Despite its superior resolution of demonstrating atherosclerotic plaque in terms of degree of lumen stenosis, the morphological assessment for the plaque is insufficient for the analysis of plaque components, and therefore, unable to predict the risk status or vulnerability of atherosclero...

Atherosclerotic plaque rupture is the main cause of coronary thrombosis and myocardial infarcts. Currently, there is no animal model of plaque disruption. We have developed a rabbit model in which an atherosclerotic plaque can be ruptured at will after an inflatable balloon becomes embedded into the plaque. Furthermore, the pressure needed to inflate the plaque-covered balloon may be an index o...

OBJECTIVES To detect the correlation between high-sensitivity-CRP, carotid plaque, neurological function and intima-media thickness, and help physicians in the diagnosis of atherosclerotic cerebral infarction. METHODS A total of 96 patients with the first onset of atherosclerotic cerebral infarction were included in the study from July 2013 to May 2015. The test of high-sensitivity-CRP, exami...

Atherosclerotic plaque regression and HMG-CoA reductase inhibition potential of curcumin: An integrative omics in-vivo studyPriyanka Riyad, Ashok Purohit, Karishma Sen, Heera Ram

The purpose of our study was to determine the origin and relation of vasa vasorum to atherosclerotic plaque at the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. We randomly selected 12 unembalmed adult human cadavers, 40-96 years of age. We prepared luminal casts of the arteries from eight cadavers and cleared the arteries from the remaining four cadavers. A network of vasa vasorum surrounding athe...

Evaluation of atherosclerotic plaque composition and morphometry may yield insight into plaque biology and the mechanisms of plaque-associated thrombosis. Analysis of intravascular ultrasound radiofrequency (IVUS-RF) backscatter signal is one technology that provides in vivo assessment of both atherosclerotic plaque composition and morphometry. We summarize three different approaches to IVUS-RF...

OBJECTIVES We sought to determine the feasibility and potential of transesophageal magnetic resonance imaging (TEMRI) for quantifying atherosclerotic plaque burden in the aortic arch and descending thoracic aorta in comparison with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). BACKGROUND Improved morphologic assessment of atherosclerotic plaque features in vivo is of interest because of the potenti...

OBJECTIVE Lysosomal proteinases have been implicated in a number of pathologies associated with extracellular matrix breakdown. Therefore, we investigated the possibility that the lysosomal proteinase cathepsin S may be involved in atherosclerotic plaque destabilization. METHODS AND RESULTS Atherosclerotic plaques in the brachiocephalic arteries of fat-fed apolipoprotein E/cathepsin S double ...