Use of FT-IR imaging system to study lipid build-up in coronary arteries described in this new application note
Cardiovascular-related illnesses are responsible for a large proportion of natural cause deaths in the western world.
Build-up of cholesterol on the inner wall of the aorta (plaque formation) is a known cause of arterial restriction, which can lead to heart attacks.
Clot formation and fragmentation, leading to potentially lethal pulmonary and brain thromboses, can be initiated by the plaque.
Identification and measurement of plaques is of great importance in the design of prophylactic and therapeutic treatments.
A new application note from PerkinElmer describes and illustrates the use of the Spectrum Spotlight 300 FT-IR imaging system to study lipid build-up in coronary arteries.
The application shows some initial findings on data from a rabbit genetically predisposed to arterial plaque formation.
The method used is outlined, and results are illustrated by a visible image of artery section, a single wavenumber image of cholesterol, and a band ratio image of cholesterol and artery.
The system's high sensitivity and speed offer rapid analysis of complex biological samples.
The IR images obtained show very clear differentiation between tissue types in physiological and pathological conditions, and confirm the composition of suspected plaque areas.
