Shin-Lei Peng1, Hsu-Hsia Peng1, Tao-Chieh Yang2, Jee-Ching Hsu3, Yi-Chun Wu4, Fu-Nien Wang1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, HsinChu, Taiwan; 2 Department of Neurosurgy, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, TaoYuan, Taiwan; 3Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, TaoYuan, Taiwan; 4Molecular Imaging Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, TaoYuan, Taiwan
Wall shear stress (WSS) derived from phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI), has been used to provide insights into the blood rheology. The vessels with atherosclerosis are of low WSS, and the hypertension is one of the risk factors for developing atherosclerosis. This study demonstrated the feasibility of WSS measurements in a rat model. The lower WSS in the bifurcation of common carotid artery (CCA) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) was measured when compared to the middle level of CCA. Furthermore, higher WSS was observed in the normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. It could be a potential technique for longitudinal research on atherosclerosis.