After tissue sampling, air-filled balloons were placed in the left and right ventricle. MRI analysis was performed using a
3 Tesla scanner (Philips, the Netherlands). T1-weighted images (3D FFE, TR/TE = 5.4/2.3 ms, flip angle 35°, BW = 434 Hz, 125 slices and scan duration = 02:15) with a measured isotropic resolution of 0.8 mm covering the entire heart were acquired using a quadrature head coil. Additionally, T1 measurement sequence was performed (Look Locker sequence: T1w TFE with “shared” inversion pulse, TR/TE = 2.3/4.3 ms, flip angle = 3°, inversion delay = 38.4 ms, phase interval = 65.5 ms, BW = 853 Hz, SENSE factor 2, isotropic resolution of 1 mm), and T1 maps were reconstructed using NordicIce (NordicNeuroLab, Bergen, Norway). The segmentation of the infarcted volumes was done in OsiriX [37 (
link)]. T1map was used to discriminate infarcted areas with the 3D region-growing tool (threshold of 400). The used threshold lead to inclusion of pericardium and endocardium as well but as the amount is comparable and small in all groups and subjective manual processing would have been necessary, we did not subtract it from the total infarcted volume. Infarction size (ml) was determined in T1 weighted images and compared to the total left ventricular volume.
Pischke S.E., Gustavsen A., Orrem H.L., Egge K.H., Courivaud F., Fontenelle H., Despont A., Bongoni A.K., Rieben R., Tønnessen T.I., Nunn M.A., Scott H., Skulstad H., Barratt-Due A, & Mollnes T.E. (2017). Complement factor 5 blockade reduces porcine myocardial infarction size and improves immediate cardiac function. Basic Research in Cardiology, 112(3), 20.