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. 2019 Jan;49(1):69-80.
doi: 10.1002/jmri.26232. Epub 2018 Oct 6.

Anatomical location, sex, and age influence murine arterial circumferential cyclic strain before and during dobutamine infusion

Paige E Castle  1 , Ulrich M Scheven  1 , A Colleen Crouch  2 , Amos A Cao  1 , Craig J Goergen  3 , Joan M Greve  1
Affiliations

Anatomical location, sex, and age influence murine arterial circumferential cyclic strain before and during dobutamine infusion

Paige E Castle et al. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Background: One of the primary biomechanical factors influencing arterial health is their deformation across the cardiac cycle, or cyclic strain, which is often associated with arterial stiffness. Deleterious changes in the cardiovascular system, e.g., increased arterial stiffness, can remain undetected until the system is challenged, such as under a cardiac stressor like dobutamine.

Purpose: To quantify cyclic strain in mice at different locations along the arterial tree prior to and during dobutamine infusion, while evaluating the effects of sex and age.

Study type: Control/cohort study.

Animal model: Twenty C57BL/6 mice; male, female; ∼12 and 24 weeks of age; n = 5 per group.

Field strength/sequence: 7T; CINE MRI with 12 frames, velocity compensation, and prospective cardiac gating.

Assessment: Prior to and during the infusion of dobutamine, Green-Lagrange circumferential cyclic strain was calculated from perimeter measurements derived from CINE data acquired at the carotid artery, suprarenal and infrarenal abdominal aorta, and iliac artery.

Statistical tests: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by post-hoc tests was used to evaluate the influence of dobutamine, anatomical location, sex, and age.

Results: Heart rates did not differ between groups prior to or during dobutamine infusion (P = 0.87 and P = 0.08, respectively). Dobutamine increased cyclic strain in each group. Within a group, increases in strain were similar across arteries. At the suprarenal aorta, strain was reduced in older mice at baseline (young 27.6 > mature 19.3%, P = 0.01) and during dobutamine infusion (young 53.0 > mature 36.2%, P = 0.005). In the infrarenal aorta, the response (dobutamine - baseline) was reduced in older mice (young 21.9 > mature 13.5%, P = 0.04).

Data conclusion: Dobutamine infusion increases circumferential cyclic strain throughout the arterial tree of mice. This effect is quantifiable using CINE MRI. The results demonstrate that strain prior to and during dobutamine is influenced by anatomical location, sex, and age.

Level of evidence: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:69-80.

Keywords: CINE MRI; artery; cyclic strain; dobutamine; mouse.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative data from the four anatomical locations investigated. A: Coronal maximum intensity projection from a multiple thin slab 3D acquisition. B: Single cross‐sectional CINE frame from each anatomical location studied (shown on the same scale). C: Twelve CINE frames from the infrarenal aorta of a young male mouse. Dotted circles represent the perimeter of the vessel at diastole and are shown in each image to visualize vessel expansion across the cardiac cycle. Solid arrows are shown for end‐diastole and the dotted arrow represents peak‐systole.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Green‐Lagrange circumferential cyclic strain of the infrarenal aorta across the cardiac cycle for male (A,B) and female (C,D) mice, before (left) and during (right) dobutamine infusion. Young animals are shown in gray (n = 5 male, n = 5 female) and mature animals are shown in black (n = 5 male, n = 5 female). Dobutamine infusion increased cyclic strain.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Maximum Green‐Lagrange circumferential cyclic strain at baseline and during the infusion of dobutamine. Baseline and dobutamine maximum cyclic strain are displayed side‐by‐side for each group at each of the four locations (n = 5 per group). Significant differences based on location (#) or dobutamine (*) within a group; and age (Δ) or sex (†) at a given location. Subscripts correspond to baseline (b) or dobutamine (d).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Change in maximum cyclic strain at the carotid, suprarenal, infrarenal, and iliac locations for each group. Significant differences based on age (Δ) or sex (†).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Cross‐sectional area of the infrarenal aorta across the cardiac cycle, for male (A,B) and female (C,D) mice, before (left) and during (right) dobutamine infusion. Young animals are shown in gray (n = 5 male, n = 5 female) and mature animals are shown in black (n = 5 male, n = 5 female). Dobutamine infusion decreased area.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Average cross‐sectional area at baseline and during the infusion of dobutamine. Baseline and dobutamine average area are displayed side‐by‐side for each group at each of the four locations (n = 5 per group). Significant differences based on dobutamine (*) within a group; and age (Δ) or sex (†) at a given location. Subscripts correspond to baseline (b) or dobutamine (d).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Relative change in average area at the carotid, suprarenal, infrarenal, and iliac locations for each group. Significant differences based on age (Δ) or sex (†).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Comparison of change in maximum strain and relative change in average area due to the administration of dobutamine, for young males (A), mature males (B), young females (C), and mature females (D); (n = 5 per group). Typically, a larger relative reduction in area was matched with a larger increase in maximum strain.
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