Application Of FTIR Spectroscopic Imaging To Study Effects Of Age And Dietary L-arginine On Aortic Lesion Composition In Cholesterol-fed Rabbits

Main Category: Veterinary
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry;  Cholesterol;  Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 05 Nov 2008 - 4:00 PST

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A novel chemical imaging approach could potentially improve understanding of atherosclerosis, the arterial disease that remains the primary cause of mortality in all developed countries.

Imperial College scientists studied the precise composition of the fat-rich atherosclerotic lesions, which is of key importance in understanding the evolution of the disease.

The high spatial resolution of ATR imaging enabled them to visualise changes in lesion composition with age in the rabbit aorta and to demonstrate beneficial effects of dietary arginine.

This may have clinical implications since the composition of atherosclerotic lesions in human aortas also appear to change with age and diet.

Journal of the Royal Society Interface

Journal of the Royal Society Interface is the Society's cross-disciplinary publication promoting research at the interface between the physical and life sciences. It offers rapidity, visibility and high-quality peer review and is ranked fifth in JCR's multidisciplinary category. The journal also incorporates Interface Focus, a peer-reviewed, themed supplement, each issue of which concentrates on a specific cross-disciplinary subject.

Journal of the Royal Society Interface