Quantification and 3D Reconstruction of Atherosclerotic Plaque Components in Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mice Using Ex Vivo High-Resolution MRI

OBJECTIVE—To investigate the ability of high-resolution MRI to determine composition and microanatomy of atherosclerosis in mouse aortic root and brachiocephalic artery. METHODS AND RESULTS—Aortic root and brachiocephalic arteries of apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE−/−) mice fed Western diet for 10, 20, or 30 weeks were imaged ex vivo (11.7 T; 3D multiecho sequence; resolution 47×47×62.5 μm). Using semiautomated histogram-based methods, MRI accurately quantified lipid-rich/necrotic areas in the aortic root (r=0.84; P