Imaging of atherosclerosis in WHHL rabbits using high-resolution ultrasound.

Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits provide an animal model of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerotic progression. However, a large individual variation in plaque progression rate calls for serial investigations, as do treatment studies. In contrast to histopathology, transthoracic ultrasound imaging of the aortic arch is a noninvasive technique suitable for repeated investigations.