Xiaoli Zhang1,2, Yu Qing Zhou1,
Mark van Doormaal1, R. Mark Henkelman1,2
1Mouse Imaging Centre,
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 2Department
of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hemodynamic wall shear stress has been related to atherosclerosis development. However, the association between salient characteristics of flow patterns and localization of atherosclerotic lesions is still not fully understood. Our recent study has used surgical induction of aortic valve regurgitation to significantly change flow pattern and atherosclerotic plaques along the thoracic and abdominal aorta, which were normally lesion free. This study used a phase contrast MRI technique to elucidate blood flow in the aorta of control and AR mice. Retrograde flow during diastole was observed in the AR mouse.