Effect of Rosuvastatin and Aspirin therapy for abdominal aortic atherosclerotic plaque in rabbits: a magnetic resonance imaging study

Objective: To evaluate therapeutic effect of rosuvastatin, aspirin and two-drug combination on atherosclerotic plaque by conventional magnetic resonance imaging, explore its inhibition of inflammatory cells. Methods: 160 New Zealand rabbits were given endothelial denudation combined with a cholesterol-enriched diet to induce abdominal aortic atherosclerosis. all rabbits were assigned randomly to control group (high fat diet), group A (high fat diet with aspirin), group T (high fat diet with rosuvastatin) and group AT (high fat diet with aspirin as well as rosuvastatin), 40 for each group. Then animals were divided randomly into 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month and 2 months subgroup, 10 for each subgroup. Abdominal aortic MR examinations were performed to analyze the AS plaque load, and wall normalization index (NWI). Abdominal aortic specimens were stained with HE and macrophage immunoh1stochemical staining to analyze plaque morphology and macrophage content. Results: The NWI of A, T and AT group were lower than the control group at each time point (1 week, 1 month and 2 months, P < 0.05). In control group, the arterial intima gradually thickened over time. At each time point, the degree of arterial intimal thickening in group A, T, AT were less than that in control group. After 2 months, the macrophages of plaque with group A, T, AT were all decreased compared with the control group. Conclusion: Rosuvastatin, aspirin and two drug combination can restrain plaque load, reduce inflammatory response. MR can be used in the evaluation of drug therapy. (authors)