Abstract #0324

First-Pass MRI Detects Reduced Myocardial Perfusion Reserve in ApoE-/- Mice on a High-Cholesterol Diet

Nivedita K. Naresh¹, Xiao Chen¹, Patrick F. Antkowiak¹, Rene J. Roy², Frederick H. Epstein¹,³

¹Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States; ²School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States; ³Radiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States

Atherosclerosis and the associated cardiovascular diseases remain the largest cause of morbidity and mortality in the western world. We developed a compressed sensing (CS)-accelerated first pass sequence for mice with a dual-contrast acquisition and using ApoE^-/- mice on high cholesterol diet, we sought to establish a mouse model of coronary vascular dysfunction, documented by reduced myocardial perfusion reserve. Perfusion reserve was reduced in ApoE^-/- mice fed a high cholesterol diet for 12 weeks as compared to wild type mice. These methods will enable us to investigate molecular mechanisms that underlie the link between high cholesterol and abnormal coronary vascular function.