Free-breathing gradient recalled echo-based CMR in a swine heart failure model

• Published in: Scientific reports 2022-03, Vol.12 (1), p.3698-3698, Article 3698
• Main Authors: Morris, Craig C., Ref, Jacob, Acharya, Satya, Johnson, Kevin J., Squire, Scott, Acharya, Tuschar, Dennis, Tyler, Daugherty, Sherry, McArthur, Alice, Chinyere, Ikeotunye Royal, Koevary, Jen Watson, Hare, Joshua M., Lancaster, Jordan J., Goldman, Steven, Avery, Ryan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/1647/245/1628; 631/443/592/75/2/1674; 631/443/592/75/230; 692/308/1426; 692/308/2778; 692/308/575; 692/4019/2773; 692/700/1421/1628; Animal models; Animals; Chest; Congestive heart failure; Coronary artery; Coronary vessels; Data acquisition; Disease Models, Animal; Heart; Heart failure; Heart Failure - diagnostic imaging; Humanities and Social Sciences; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; multidisciplinary; Myocardial infarction; Myocardial Infarction - diagnostic imaging; Occlusion; Reperfusion; Respiration; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Stroke Volume; Swine; Ventricle; Ventricular Function, Left
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07611-8

In swine models, there are well-established protocols for creating a closed-chest myocardial infarction (MI) as well as protocols for characterization of cardiac function with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). This methods manuscript outlines a novel technique in CMR data acquisition utilizing smart-signal gradient recalled echo (GRE)-based array sequences in a free-breathing swine heart failure model allowing for both high spatial and temporal resolution imaging. Nine male Yucatan mini swine weighing 48.7 ± 1.6 kg at 58.2 ± 3.1 weeks old underwent the outlined imaging protocol before and 1-month after undergoing closed chest left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion/reperfusion. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at baseline was 59.3 ± 2.4% and decreased to 48.1 ± 3.7% 1-month post MI (P = 0.029). The average end-diastolic volume (EDV) at baseline was 55.2 ± 1.7 ml and increased to 74.2 ± 4.2 ml at 1-month post MI (P = 0.001). The resulting images from this novel technique and post-imaging analysis are presented and discussed. In a Yucatan swine model of heart failure via closed chest left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion/reperfusion, we found that CMR with GRE-based array sequences produced clinical-grade images with high spatial and temporal resolution in the free-breathing setting.