Effect of Doxycycline on Survival in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in a Mouse Model

Figure 3

Graphic visualization of MRI measurements. (a) Contrast-to-noise ratios measured in control animals and in ApoE−/− mice after 4 weeks of angiotensin II infusion and after 4 weeks of angiotensin II infusion with parallel treatment of doxycycline. Compared to controls, postcontrast gadofosveset-enhanced contrast-to-noise ratios show increased signal enhancement (controls and 4-week group previously published in Scientific Reports, 2020 [19]). What becomes apparent in the present analysis is that doxycycline-treated animals show lower contrast-to-noise ratios compared to animals after 4 weeks of angiotensin II infusion (). (b) Furthermore, ex vivo relative fluorescence albumin-stained areas also showed a significant (moderate) correlation with in vivo measured contrast-to-noise ratios (R² = 0.58). (c) In vivo MRI combining cross-sectional areas with associated thrombus areas also show a significant increase in size in four-week-old aneurysms compared to controls. Doxycycline-treated aneurysms appear slightly smaller; however, this difference was not significant ().

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