Article Text
Abstract
Introduction Aneurysmal wall enhancement (AWE) has been correlated with inflammation of the aneurysm wall. Previous studies suggest that aspirin can decrease AWE by tapering the inflammatory cascade. We performed a pilot study using an animal model to analyze the effects of aspirin in AWE.
Methods The study was designed in two phases. Induction of the aneurysm was made with elastase in the common carotid artery. During Phase I, five aneurysms were compared to five control vessels. Phase II included 6 elastase-induced aneurysms that received LPS. During phase II, 50% (3/6) of aneurysms received aspirin for 8 weeks and the rest were used as a control group. Additionally, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was administered to some aneurysms to enhance inflammation. Aneurysmal wall enhancement (AWE) was calculated using a region of interest in MRI and was normalized to the subscapular muscle. Finally, tissue specimens of the aneurysm were stained for CD68.
Results AWE was higher in induced aneurysm compared with control vessels (1.9 ± 0.4 vs 0.9 ± 0.1). Compared to aneurysms that did not receive aspirin, aneurysms treated with aspirin had thinner walls (0.57 ± 0.06mm vs 0.62 ± 0.10mm) and had less AWE at 8 weeks (2.11 ± 0.15 vs 2.15 ± 0.37). Histological analysis revealed that aneurysms that received aspirin for 8 weeks had decreased expression CD68 (figure 1).
Conclusions Aneurysms that received aspirin had thinner walls and enhanced less than aneurysms not treated with aspirin. Aspirin also decreased expression of inflammatory mediators such as CD68 in the vessel wall.
Disclosures D. Ojeda: None. S. Sanchez: None. J. Miller: None. L. Noboa: None. R. Kadiervel: None. D. Hasan: None. E. Samaniego: None.