Figure 2
Longitudinal ultrasound imaging of elastase-treated mice. (a) Measurements of diastolic and systolic diameters from ultrasound M-mode images were used to calculate Green–Lagrange circumferential strain. (b) Post-elastase application, mice showed significantly reduced circumferential strain compared to both baseline measurements and to the heat-inactivated group. In addition, mice treated with 2.5 mg/ml (red) elastase had significantly higher strain than the 5 (green) and 10 mg/ml (blue) groups on day 7. By day 14, measures of strain were indistinguishable among the elastase-treated groups, and remained low for the remainder of the study. (c) Short-axis measures of diameter show a continuously increasing aneurysm. (d) While all mice had aneurysms, the mice treated with 5 and 10 mg/ml elastase had significantly larger aneurysms than the mice treated with 2.5 mg/ml, beginning at days 21 and 28, respectively. Scale bars are 1 mm. Note that for clarity, the only statistical comparison shown in the graphs are relative to the baseline within each group (p < 0.05 with the color of the ‘*’ indicating the group).
