Figure 5. MRI characteristics of the left and right carotids after intravenous administrations of Gd-NPs.
The uptake of Gd-NPs in the vulnerable carotid plaque was followed as function of time for signal intensity (A), and contrast enhancement (B). The calculated slopes of the washout were determined for Gd-DOTA (C, grey) and Gd-NPs (D, green). They were significantly different for vulnerable carotid plaques versus healthy carotids. L: left. R: right. HC: High cholesterol. For HC++ animal, Gd-DOTA values were not determined due to movements during the acquisition. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 HC versus healthy NHP. $p < 0.05 for HC++ left versus right carotid.
