Assessment of local pulse wave velocity in arteries using 2D distension waveforms

The reciprocal of the arterial pulse wave velocity contains crucial information about the mechanical characteristics of the arterial wall but is difficult to assess noninvasively in vivo. In this paper, a new method to assess local pulse wave velocity (PWV) is presented. To this end, multiple adjacent distension waveforms are determined simultaneously along a short arterial segment, using a single 2D-vessel wall tracking system with a high frame rate (651 Hz). Each B-mode image consists of 16 echo lines spanning a total width of 15.86 mm. Dedicated software has been developed to extract the end-diastolic diameter from the B-mode image and the distension waveforms from the underlying radiofrequency (rf) information for each echo-line. The PWV is obtained by determining the ratio of the temporal and spatial gradient of adjacent distension velocity waveforms. The proposed method is verified in a phantom and in the common carotid artery (CCA) of humans. Phantom experiments show a high concordance between the PWV obtained from 2D distension velocity waveforms (4.21 +/- 0.02 m/s) and the PWV determined using two pressure catheters (4.26 +/- 0.02 m/s). Assuming linear spatial gradients, the PWV can also be obtained in vivo for CCA and averages to 5.5 +/- 1.5 m/s (intersubject variation, n = 23), which compares well to values found in literature. Furthermore, intrasubject PWV compares well with those calculated using the Bramwell-Hill equation. It can be concluded that the PWV can be obtained from the spatial and temporal gradient if the spatial gradient is linear over the observed length of the artery, i.e. the artery should be homogenous in diameter and distension and the influence of reflections must be small.     

Measurement of local pulse wave velocity: effects of signal processing on precision

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) provides information about the mechanical properties of the vessel: the stiffer the artery is, the higher the PWV will be. PWV measured over a short arterial segment facilitates direct characterization of local wall properties corrected for prevailing pressure without the necessity of measuring pulse pressure locally. Current methods for local PWV assessment have a poor precision, but it can be improved by applying linear regression to a characteristic time-point in distension waveforms as recorded simultaneously by multiple M-line ultrasounds. We investigated the precision of this method in a phantom scaled according to realistic in vivo conditions. Special attention was paid to the identification of the foot of the wave, using the maximum of the second derivative, the intersecting tangent and the 20% threshold method. Before foot detection, the distension waveforms were subjected to preprocessing with various filters. The precision of the maximum of the second derivative had a coefficient of variation (CV) of 0.45% and 10.45% for an eighth and second order low pass filter, respectively. The intersecting tangent and the threshold method were less sensitive to filtering; the CVs were 0.66% and 0.68% for the high order filter and 2.36% and 1.43% for the low order filter, respectively. We conclude that foot detection by a threshold of 20% or by the tangent method are more suitable to identify the foot of the wave to measure local PWV. Both methods are less sensitive to (phase) noise than the maximum of the second derivative method and exhibit good precision with a CV of less than 1%.     

Clinical validation of common carotid artery wall distension assessment based on multigate Doppler processing

Mechanical properties of human large arteries result from the interaction between blood pressure, wall distensibility and shear stress. Both the arterial diameter changes through the cardiac cycle (distension) and blood flow velocities can be noninvasively investigated through Doppler ultrasound approaches. Recently, an integrated system processing in real-time all the echo signals produced along an M-line has been developed. This system has been so far demonstrated to be suitable for accurate hemodynamic studies through the detection of blood velocity profiles. This paper reports on the extension of its processing capabilities to the real-time measurement of arterial distension. Tissue motion estimation is based on a modified 2-D autocorrelation algorithm. A novel adaptive approach to track wall position over time using the sum of the high-pass filtered displacement waveform and the low-pass filtered wall position is described. By observing the blood velocity profile, a rapid and accurate positioning of the ultrasound probe and an inherent check on perpendicular observation are provided. First clinical results obtained by measuring the distension of common carotid arteries in a group of 41 volunteers are reported and measurements are validated against those provided by a dedicated wall-track reference system. Average measured distension and diameter were 499 +/- 188 microm and 6.90 +/- 0.66 mm and intraobserver intrasession reproducibility tests showed coefficients of variability of 8.5% and 5.9%, respectively. The agreement between the proposed system and the reference system, expressed as bias +/- 2 SD of the differences, was -34 +/- 141 microm for distension and 0.05 +/- 1.07 mm for diameter.     

Measurement of regional pulse wave velocity using very high frame rate ultrasound

Purpose

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is the propagation velocity of the pressure wave along the artery due to the heartbeat. The PWV becomes faster with progression of arteriosclerosis and, thus, can be used as a diagnostic index of arteriosclerosis. Measurement of PWV is known as a noninvasive approach for diagnosis of arteriosclerosis and is widely used in clinical situations. In the traditional PWV method, the average PWV is calculated between two points, the carotid and femoral arteries, at an interval of several tens of centimeters. However, PWV depends on part of the arterial tree, i.e., PWVs in the distal arteries are faster than those in the proximal arteries. Therefore, measurement of regional PWV is preferable.

Methods

To evaluate regional PWV in the present study, the minute vibration velocity of the human carotid arterial wall was measured at intervals of 0.2 mm at 72 points in the arterial longitudinal direction by the phased-tracking method at a high temporal resolution of 3472 Hz, and PWV was estimated by applying the Hilbert transform to those waveforms.

Results

In the present study, carotid arteries of three healthy subjects were measured in vivo. The PWVs in short segments of 14.4 mm in the arterial longitudinal direction were estimated to be 5.6, 6.4, and 6.7 m/s, which were in good agreement with those reported in the literature. Furthermore, for one of the subjects, a component was clearly found propagating from the periphery to the direction of the heart, i.e., a well known component reflected by the peripheral arteries. By using the proposed method, the propagation speed of the reflection component was also separately estimated to be ?8.4 m/s. The higher magnitude of PWV for the reflection component was considered to be the difference in blood pressure at the arrivals of the forward and reflection components.

Conclusion

Such a method would be useful for more sensitive evaluation of the change in elasticity due to progression of arteriosclerosis by measuring the regional PWV in a specific artery of interest (not the average PWV including other arteries).     

Non-invasive measurement of local pulse pressure by pulse wave-based ultrasound manometry (PWUM)

Central blood pressure (CBP) has been established as a relevant indicator of cardiovascular disease. Despite its significance, CBP remains particularly challenging to measure in standard clinical practice. The objective of this study is to introduce pulse wave-based ultrasound manometry (PWUM) as a simple-to-use, non-invasive ultrasound-based method for quantitative measurement of the central pulse pressure. Arterial wall displacements are estimated using radiofrequency ultrasound signals acquired at high frame rates and the pulse pressure waveform is estimated using both the distension waveform and the local pulse wave velocity. The method was tested on the abdominal aorta of 11 healthy subjects (age 35.7 ± 16 y.o.). PWUM pulse pressure measurements were compared to those obtained by radial applanation tonometry using a commercial system. The average intra-subject variability of the pulse pressure amplitude was found to be equal to 4.2 mmHg, demonstrating good reproducibility of the method. Excellent correlation was found between the waveforms obtained by PWUM and those obtained by tonometry in all subjects (0.94 < r < 0.98). A significant bias of 4.7 mmHg was found between PWUM and tonometry. PWUM is a highly translational method that can be easily integrated in clinical ultrasound imaging systems. It provides an estimate of the pulse pressure waveform at the imaged location, and may offer therefore the possibility to estimate the pulse pressure at different arterial sites. Future developments include the validation of the method against invasive estimates on patients, as well as its application to other large arteries.     

Calculation of pulse-wave velocity using cross correlation--effects of reflexes in the arterial tree

The need to investigate the elastic properties of arterial vessels in situ for the early recognition of degenerative disorders in arteries has long been apparent. Pulse-wave diagnostics has been used in traditional medicine, but only in a qualitative way. By measuring the vessel diameter change, simultaneously at two levels along an artery, it should be possible to calculate the pulse-wave velocity (PWV). A newly developed ultrasonic instrument, DIAMOVE, was designed to provide a two-dimensional, real time, B-mode image for display of the exact position of two measurement sites; a computer-controlled digital phased-locked loop detector for the measurement of diameter changes; and a personal computer for the display of the momentary displacement of the artery walls. The cross-correlation technique was used on the information from the vessel wall movements to calculate the resulting PWV. Early measurements on healthy patients showed some unexpected artifacts, which were found to be due to reflected waves, affecting the shape of the pulse-wave at the sites of measurement. A modified PWV estimation algorithm, where only the foot of the pulse-wave in every beat is utilized, seems to have solved this problem and now makes the method suitable for clinical use.     

Measurement of pulse wave velocity using pulse wave Doppler ultrasound: comparison with arterial tonometry

Pulse wave velocity (PWV), the speed of propagation of arterial pressure waves through the arterial tree, is related to arterial stiffness and is an important prognostic marker for cardiovascular events. In clinical practice PWV is commonly determined by arterial tonometry, with a noninvasive pressure sensor applied sequentially over carotid and femoral arteries. The electrocardiogram (ECG) is used as a timing reference to determine the time delay or "transit time" between the upstroke of carotid and femoral pulse waveforms. Commercially available vascular ultrasound scanners provide a pulsed wave (PW) Doppler velocity signal, which should allow determination of carotid-femoral transit time and hence PWV. We compared carotid-femoral PWV measured by tonometry and by PW Doppler ultrasound (Seimens, Apsen scanner with 7 MHz linear transducer) in asymptomatic subjects (n = 62, 26 male, aged 21 to 72 y). To test for intra-subject and inter-observer variation, ten subjects were scanned by one observer on two occasions 2 wk apart and by two observers on same day. PWV by tonometry ranged from 5.3 to 15.0 m/s. There was no significant difference between mean values of PWV obtained by the two techniques (mean difference: 0.3 m/s, standard deviation of difference: 1.5 m/s), which were closely correlated (r = 0.83). The coefficient of variation for repeated measures on the same subject by the same observer was 10.1% and the inter-observer coefficient of variation was 5.8%. These results suggest a commercial ultrasound scanner can be used to measure PWV, giving results that are reproducible and closely correlated with those obtained by arterial tonometry. (E-mail: ben_yu.jiang@kcl.ac.uk).     

Comparison of several noninvasive methods for estimation of pulmonary artery pressure

Noninvasive estimation of pulmonary artery pressure is an important component of cardiac ultrasound studies. A number of methods are available for estimation of pulmonary pressure, each with varying degrees of reported accuracy. To assess feasibility and accuracy, noninvasive pulmonary artery pressure estimates were performed in infants and children at the time of catheterization. Patients were examined prospectively until there were 50 patients, in whom each of six methods for estimation of pulmonary pressure had been accomplished. All patients had tricuspid and pulmonary regurgitation of less than severe degree and no structural, flow, or electrocardiographic abnormality known to compromise the six methods. Systolic pressure was estimated by the Burstin method and also from peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity. Mean pressure was estimated by acceleration time divided by ejection time from waveforms obtained from the right ventricular outflow tract and main pulmonary artery. Diastolic pressure was estimated by systolic time intervals and from end-diastolic pulmonary regurgitation velocity. Noninvasive estimates were compared with simultaneous or nearly simultaneous catheterization measurements. For systolic pressure Burstin estimates were accomplished in 89% with high accuracy (r = 0.97). Tricuspid regurgitation velocities were recorded in 82%, also with high accuracy (r = 0.96). Waveforms for mean pressure estimation were recorded in 98% to 100% of patients. Those from the right ventricular outflow tract corresponded well with catheterization pressures (r = 0.94), whereas those recorded from the main pulmonary artery offered poor prediction of pulmonary pressure (r = 0.63). Systolic time interval measurements were accomplished in only 65% and did not correlate highly with catheterization (r = 0.84). Diastolic pressure estimates based on pulmonary regurgitation velocity were recorded in 98% of subjects with high accuracy (r = 0.96). Each method had advantages and disadvantages. The Burstin method was accurate but technically demanding and is reported to be limited by heart rate and significant right-sided regurgitation. Peak tricuspid velocities proved unexpectedly difficult to record in some patients but when successful, provided excellent prediction of pressure. Recording of waveforms for ratios of acceleration time to ejection time proved easy, but accuracy was high only for outflow tract waveforms. Peculiarities of main pulmonary artery flow may have led to poor accuracy for ratios measured from that site. For diastolic pressure estimation, systolic time interval records were the most difficult to obtain and did not provide useful accuracy. In contrast, pulmonary regurgitation velocities were easily obtained and provided high accuracy results. This is a selected pediatric series, evaluating methods in nearly ideal circumstances.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Noninvasive ultrasonic measurement of regional and local pulse-wave velocity in mice

Mouse models of human disease are increasingly used to study the nature of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. The pulse wave velocity (PWV) provides an indirect measure of arterial stiffness and can be useful for characterizing disease progression. In this study, the PWV was measured noninvasively in the left common carotid artery of seven young mice using two image-guided approaches: a regional transit-time (TT) method and a local flow-area (QA) method. The QA approach measures the cross-sectional area and volume flow through the vessel using high frame-rate retrospective colour flow imaging. The QA method was found to correlate well with the TT method (r2=0.80, p<0.001). The mean difference between methods was 0.05+/-0.21 m/s. This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring both regional and local PWV in mice using image-based high-frequency ultrasound methodologies.     

Arterial pulse wave velocity with tissue Doppler imaging

This paper describes a new noninvasive ultrasonic method for estimating pulse wave velocity (PWV), an important physical parameter for characterizing the elastic properties of the arterial walls. The method utilizes a relatively new color Doppler modality for measuring tissue motion (tissue Doppler imaging or TDI). In contrast to previously proposed methods, the TDI modality offers multiple recording sites along the artery that improve the PWV estimation considerably. The new PWV estimation method was evaluated through an in vitro setup consisting of an elastic vessel supplied with a pulsatile pump. The study concentrated on the effect of different system parameters controlling resolution, sensitivity and the amount of acquired data. It was shown that the system parameters have a significant effect on the PWV variance, whereas the PWV mean remains unchanged. It was also established that high temporal resolution is the most vital parameter for minimizing PWV variance. Finally, the new PWV estimation method was applied to a limited set of human carotid artery data sets, with good results.     

Noninvasive assessment of the viscoelasticity of peripheral arteries

Currently used methods of examining the mechanical properties of blood vessel walls are either indirect or invasive, or measure vessel diameter and pressure waveforms at different sites. We developed a noninvasive technique to assess the mechanical properties and viscoelasticity of peripheral arteries. The pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep) and the viscoelastic properties (energy dissipation ratio, EDR) of the common carotid artery (CCA), brachial artery (BA), radial artery (RA) and dorsalis pedis artery (DPA) were determined by means of palpating pressure and diameter distension waveforms extracted from high-resolution ultrasonography. The methodology was validated in vitro using an elastic tube phantom, as well as in vivo. In vivo study in 10 healthy volunteers (mean age 22 y) showed that the pressure-diameter curves were nonlinear, with an inflection at about 85–90 mmHg, and routed clockwise with slight hysteresis. The CCA (n = 5) had a mean diameter of 6.74 mm and the pulsatile diameter distension was 12.2%. The Ep calculated at the CCA was 0.44 × 10⁶ dyne/cm² with an EDR of 7.18%. The BA, RA and DPA (n = 10) had mean diameters of 3.91 mm, 2.21 mm and 2.12 mm; arterial strains of 4.60%, 4.25% and 8.91%; mean Ep of 1.39, 1.45, 0.90 × 10⁶ dyne/cm²; and mean EDRs of 6.34%, 6.15% and 5.60%, respectively. The method presented is relatively simple to implement clinically and has potential as a new diagnostic tool for detecting local vascular changes.     

Doppler velocimetry of normal human fetal venous intrapulmonary branches.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the nature of flow velocity waveforms from fetal middle and distal venous pulmonary branches in the second half of normal pregnancy in relation to gestation, and to test repeatability and interrelationships of flow velocity waveform recordings from proximal, middle and distal venous pulmonary branches. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 111 normal singleton pregnancies between 20 and 40 weeks' gestation were studied using a color-coded Doppler ultrasound system. Pulmonary waveforms were obtained at the level of the fetal cardiac four-chamber view. Repeatability was tested from two recordings at 15-min time intervals in 25 separate normal pregnancies. RESULTS: The nature of middle and distal venous pulmonary flow velocity waveforms was comparable with that of proximal waveforms. Acceptable repeatability of pulmonary venous flow velocity waveforms with coefficients of variation below 15% was established for nearly all velocity parameters and their ratios. A gestational age-dependent change was found for all flow velocity waveform parameters including pulsatility index for veins at both middle and distal venous levels. Significant inter-pulmonary changes were observed for nearly all pulmonary venous waveform parameters. CONCLUSIONS: It is speculated that increase in volume flow and venous pulmonary pressure gradient plays a role in gestational age-dependent changes, whereas changes in vessel diameter and distance between the heart and more distal venous pulmonary vessels are responsible for inter-pulmonary changes.     

Arteriosclerosis and pulse wave velocity

Impairment of the arterial compliance or loss of Windkessel effect of elastic arteries causes increased afterload to the heart and increased pulsatile flow to the peripheral vasculatures. The former induces left ventricular hypertrophy or dysfunction and the latter induces small vessel damage or end organ dysfunction. Thus, the arterial compliance plays important roles in the course of hypertension. Therefore; it is worthwhile to measure the elastic properties of aortoarterial system in patient with hypertension. The velocity of the pressure wave along an arterial system, known as pulse wave velocity(PWV), is related to the average stiffness of an arterial segment between measurement sites. The measurement of PWV is inversely related to arterial wall distensibility, which offers a simple and potential approach. There are numerous reports which PWV is a forceful marker and predictor of the cardiovascular risk in hypertensive or other arteriosclerotic disorders. Thus, PWV measurement is recommended in patients with hypertension for early detection of organ damages or estimation of the cardiovascular risk, as well as for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the treatment as a surrogate marker.     

An integrated system for the non-invasive assessment of vessel wall and hemodynamic properties of large arteries by means of ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES: To integrate methods for non-invasive assessment of vessel wall properties (diastolic diameter, distension waveform and intima-media thickness) and hemodynamic properties (blood flow velocity and shear rate distribution) of large arteries by means of dedicated ultrasound signal processing. METHODS: we have developed an arterial laboratory (ART-lab) system. ART-lab consists of software running on a standard personal computer, equipped with a data acquisition card for the acquisition of radio frequency (RF) ultrasound signals obtained with a conventional echo scanner. It operates either (1) off-line or (2) in real-time. Real-time operation is restricted to the assessment of vessel wall properties because of limitations in computational power. RESULTS: This paper provides an overview of ART-lab ultrasound radio frequency data acquisition and dedicated RF-signal processing methods. The capabilities of the system are illustrated with some typical applications. CONCLUSIONS: ART-lab in real-time mode is a useful tool for monitoring arterial vessel wall dynamics, while off-line it can be employed to investigate the elastic vessel wall properties in combination with hemodynamics, such as blood flow velocity and shear rate distribution.     

Aortic Doppler velocity measurement and cardiac function in the fetal lamb

Aortic haemodynamic parameters, and Doppler waveforms in particular, were investigated in acute experiments with fetal lambs. Cardiovascular changes were produced by central infusion of the drugs esmolol and dopamine. Pulsed Doppler waveforms were obtained from the descending thoracic aorta, simultaneous with recordings of pulsatile aortic volume flow rate, diameter and blood pressure. The relation between Doppler-derived velocities and the corresponding full vessel lumen velocities was shown to be fairly linear and consistent across different animals. The aortic volume flow per beat decreased with esmolol (p < 0.003, repeated measures ANOVA); the Doppler and vessel lumen mean velocities also decreased, whether measured only at peak systole or over the full cardiac cycle (at most p < 0.003). With dopamine the aortic flow per beat increased (p < 0.001), as did the Doppler and vessel lumen mean velocities (at most p < 0.02). An inverse relation between the aortic flow per beat and the peripheral resistance was observed. To identify inotropic changes in the presence of vascular effects, a theoretical model based on cardiac power output changes was implemented. The data were divided into three groups, according to whether the model did or did not identify a definite inotropic effect (positive or negative). The Doppler velocity changes for these three groups were different (p < 0.0001). The mean Doppler velocity increased by 7 cm s⁻¹ in the positive inotropic effect group, and decreased by 4 cm s⁻¹ in the negative group. The aortic flow parameters of the human fetus are very similar to those of the fetal lamb. Decreased aortic velocities have been reported in human fetal compromise, and the results of this study support the hypothesis that this can be evidence of impaired fetal cardiac function.     

无名动脉与右锁骨下动脉扩张的超声表现

目的分析探讨老年动脉硬化导致无名动脉与右锁骨下动脉改变的超声声像图与临床意义。方法经二维超声和彩色多普勒检查26例无名动脉与右锁骨下内径及血流速度、血管走行、有无斑块形成。并设立36例正常对照组,测量无名动脉与右锁骨下动脉内径。结果老年动脉硬化,可导致无名动脉及右锁骨下动脉延长、扩张,使右锁骨下动脉分叉点抬高,血管扭曲,由无名动脉向右锁骨下动脉的血流角度发生改变,血液运行不畅,局部斑块形成。结论超声可以通过测量血管内径、观察有无斑块形成、对血管走行及血流动力学观测而对老年性右颈部搏动性包块性质做出判别。     

Feasibility of Dual Doppler Velocity Measurements to Estimate Volume Pulsations of an Arterial Segment

If volume flow was measured at each end of an arterial segment with no branches, any instantaneous differences would indicate that volume was increasing or decreasing transiently within the segment. This concept could provide an alternative method to assess the mechanical properties or distensibility of an artery noninvasively using ultrasound. The goal of this study was to determine the feasibility of using Doppler measurements of pulsatile velocity (opposed to flow) at two sites to estimate the volume pulsations of the intervening arterial segment. To test the concept over a wide range of dimensions, we made simultaneous measurements of velocity in a short 5 mm segment of a mouse common carotid artery and in a longer 20 cm segment of a human brachial-radial artery using a two-channel 20 MHz pulsed Doppler and calculated the waveforms and magnitudes of the volume pulsations during the cardiac cycle. We also estimated pulse wave velocity from the velocity upstroke arrival times and measured artery wall motion using tissue Doppler methods for comparison of magnitudes and waveforms. Volume pulsations estimated from Doppler velocity measurements were 16% for the mouse carotid artery and 4% for the human brachial artery. These values are consistent with the measured pulse wave velocities of 4.2 m/s and 10 m/s, respectively, and with the mouse carotid diameter pulsation. In addition, the segmental volume waveforms resemble diameter and pressure waveforms as expected. We conclude that with proper application and further validation, dual Doppler velocity measurements can be used to estimate the magnitude and waveform of volume pulsations of an arterial segment and to provide an alternative noninvasive index of arterial mechanical properties. (E-mail: cjhartley@ieee.org)     

A viscoelastic model of arterial wall motion in pulsatile flow: implications for Doppler ultrasound clutter assessment

The existing computational model studies of pulsatile blood flow in arteries have assumed either rigid wall characteristics or elastic arterial wall behavior with wall movement limited to the radial direction. Recent in vivo studies have identified significant viscoelastic wall properties and longitudinal wall displacements over the cardiac cycle. Determining the nature of these movements is important for predicting the effects of ultrasound clutter in Doppler ultrasound measurements. It is also important for developing an improved understanding of the physiology of vessel wall motion. We present an analytically-based computational model based on the Womersley equations for pulsatile blood flow within elastic and viscoelastic arteries. By comparison with published in vivo data of the human common carotid artery as well as uncertainty and sensitivity analyses, it is found that the predicted waveforms are in reasonable quantitative agreement. Either a pressure, pressure gradient or volumetric flow rate waveform over a single cardiac cycle is used as an input. Outputs include the pressure, pressure gradient, radial and longitudinal fluid velocities and arterial wall displacements, volumetric flow rate and average longitudinal velocity. It is concluded that longitudinal wall displacements comparable to the radial displacements can be present and should be considered when studying the effects of tissue movement on Doppler ultrasound clutter.     

Non-triggered quantification of central and peripheral pulse-wave velocity

Purpose

Stiffening of the arteries results in increased pulse-wave velocity (PWV), the propagation velocity of the blood. Elevated aortic PWV has been shown to correlate with aging and atherosclerotic alterations. We extended a previous non-triggered projection-based cardiovascular MR method and demonstrate its feasibility by mapping the PWV of the aortic arch, thoraco-abdominal aorta and iliofemoral arteries in a cohort of healthy adults.

Materials and Methods

The proposed method "simultaneously" excites and collects a series of velocity-encoded projections at two arterial segments to estimate the wave-front velocity, which inherently probes the high-frequency component of the dynamic vessel wall modulus in response to oscillatory pressure waves. The regional PWVs were quantified in a small pilot study in healthy subjects (N = 10, age range 23 to 68 yrs) at 3T.

Results

The projection-based method successfully time-resolved regional PWVs for 8-10 cardiac cycles without gating and demonstrated the feasibility of monitoring beat-to-beat changes in PWV resulting from heart rate irregularities. For dul-slice excitation the aliasing was negligible and did not interfere with PWV quantification. The aortic arch and thoracoabdominal aorta PWV were positively correlated with age (p < 0.05), consistent with previous reports. On the other hand, the PWV of the iliofemoral arteries showed decreasing trend with age, which has been associated with the weakening of muscular arteries, a natural aging process.

Conclusion

The PWV map of the arterial tree from ascending aorta to femoral arteries may provide additional insight into pathophysiology of vascular aging and atherosclerosis.

     

Evaluation of Bi-ventricular Coronary Flow Patterns Using High-Frequency Ultrasound in Mice with Transverse Aortic Constriction

Using high-frequency color and pulsed Doppler ultrasound, we evaluated the flow patterns of the left (LCA), septal (SCA) and right (RCA) coronary arteries in mice with and without transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Fifty-two male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to TAC or a corresponding sham operation. At 2 and 8 wk post-surgery, Doppler flow spectra from the three coronary arteries, together with morphologic and functional parameters of the left and right ventricles, were measured. Histology was performed to evaluate myocyte size and neo-angiogenesis in both ventricles. In sham-operated mice, the LCA and SCA both exhibited low-flow waveforms during systole and dominantly higher-flow waveforms during diastole. The RCA exhibited generally lower flow velocity, with similar systolic and diastolic waveforms. TAC significantly increased the systolic flow velocities of all coronary arteries, but enhanced the flow mainly in the LCA and SCA. In the left ventricle, coronary flow reserve was partially preserved 2 wk post-TAC, but decreased at 8 wk, consistent with changes in neo-angiogenesis and systolic function. In contrast, no significant change was found in the coronary flow reserve, structure or function of the right ventricle. This study has established a protocol for evaluating the flow pattern in three principal coronary arteries in mice using Doppler ultrasound and illustrated the difference among three vessels at baseline. In mice with TAC, the difference in the associating pattern of coronary flow dynamics with the myocardial structure and function between the left and right ventricles provides further insights into ventricular remodeling under pressure overload.