Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are a relatively common disease, with still unclear etiology that is associated with high mortality due to aortic rupture. Here we show that mice deficient for the Mas-receptor show aggravated AAA formation upon Ang-II treatment and that accumulation of macrophages in bulk aneurysms can be non-invasively visualized by 1H/19F MRI using intravenously applied perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions which are efficiently phagocytosed by macrophages. We conclude that Mas-receptor deficiency leads to increased inflammation with enhanced AAA formation and that 19F MRI-based inflammation imaging will help to further unravel the role of monocytes/macrophages in the course of AAA progression.
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