457-P: Quantification of Vascular Density by 3D Light Sheet Imaging in a Surgical Ligation of the Left Anterior Descending Artery (LAD) Model in Mouse

Introduction: Patients with diabetes have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease including myocardial infarction (MI). A major consequence of MI is left ventricular (LV) remodeling including compensatory hypertrophy without concomitant adaptation of the capillary vasculature. Targeting capillary density is thus a promising therapeutic strategy but methods for unbiased and direct quantification are lacking. In a surgical MI model, we used 3D light sheet imaging to visualize and quantify LV remodeling including capillary density. Methods: Surgical ligation of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) was performed in male C57BL/6 mice. Infarct localization and LV function were evaluated by echocardiography, and LV remodeling and capillary density quantified by 3D light sheet imaging. Results: Ejection fraction (EF) as measured by echocardiography was reduced in LAD-ligated mice with anterior wall MI compared to mice without MI (29.1±1.5 vs. 55.2±1.1 %, p