Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a non-invasive technique classified as posing no significant hazards, will be used to characterize atherosclerotic plaque in the major thoracic, abdominal, pelvic and neck vessels. Spatial resolution will be 0.5-0.8mm. Within this resolution we will be able to assess the morphology of the plaque and its composition. We expect to be able to identify the presence of lipids, thrombus, connective tissue, clacification and necrosis. Also identifyable will be the vessel wall and flow channel. Components of the plaque will be modeled in test tube preparations, which will be characterized by MRI. Thrombus will be obtained from dogs or NMR studies. Watanabe rabbits and humans who are to undergo surgery will be imaged in-vivo, and then the vessels excised and imaged ex-vivo. Subsequently, plaque composition will be measured. The program brings together an interdisciplinary team of workers, which includes expertise in MRI instrumentation and biologic studies, including tissue typing and flow imaging; surgery; plaque analysis; biochemistry; and hematology.
