Diffusion tensor imaging and arterial tissue: establishing the influence of arterial tissue microstructure on fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity and tractography
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2021Access:
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Brooke Tornifoglio, Alan J. Stone, Robert D. Johnston, Salmon S. Shahid, Christian Kerskens, Caitriona Lally, Diffusion tensor imaging and arterial tissue: establishing the influence of arterial tissue microstructure on fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity and tractography, Scientific Reports, 2021Download Item:
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Abstract:
In this study we investigated the potential of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for providing insight into
microstructural changes in arterial tissue by exploring the influence that cell, collagen and elastin
content have on fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and tractography. Five ex vivo
porcine carotid artery models (n = 6 vessels each) – native, fixed native, collagen degraded, elastin
degraded and decellularised – were developed to selectively remove components of arterial
microstructure. Intact vessels were imaged at 7 T using a DTI protocol with b = 0 and 800 s/mm2 and
10 isotopically distributed directions. FA and MD values were evaluated in the medial layer of vessels
and compared across tissue models. FA values measured in native and fixed native vessels were
significantly higher (p<0.0001) than those in the elastin degraded and decellularised arteries. Collagen
degraded vessels had a significantly higher (p<0.01) FA than elastin degraded and decellularised
vessels. Native and fixed vessels had significantly lower (p<0.0001) MD values than elastin degraded,
while the MD in decellularised arteries was significantly higher than that in both native (p<0.01) and
fixed (p<0.005) tissue. Significantly lower (p<0.005) MD was measured in collagen degraded compared
with the elastin degraded model. Tractography results yielded similar helically arranged tracts for native
and collagen degraded vessels, whilst elastin degraded and decellularised vessels showed no consistent
tracts. FA, MD and tractography were found to be highly sensitive to changes in the microstructural
composition of arterial tissue, with cell content being a dominant source of the measured anisotropy in
the vessel wall.
Sponsor
Grant Number
European Research Council (ERC)
No. 637674
Author's Homepage:
http://people.tcd.ie/tornifobhttp://people.tcd.ie/lallyca
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PUBLISHED
Author: Tornifoglio, Brooke; Lally, Caitriona
Type of material:
Journal ArticleSeries/Report no:
Scientific ReportsAvailability:
Full text availableKeywords:
diffusion tensor imaging, arterial microstructure, cardiovascular imaging, tractography, cell content, vessel wallSubject (TCD):
ATHEROSCLEROSIS , CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE , CAROTID ATHEROSCLEROSIS , MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING , diffusion tensor imagingDOI:
10.1038/s41598-020-77675-xLicences: