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Updated: Dec 27, 2025

In vivo Near Infrared Fluorescence NIRF Intravascular Molecular Imaging of Inflammatory Plaque, a Multimodal Approach to Imaging of Atherosclerosis
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Effects of Colchicine on Atherosclerotic Plaque Stabilization: a Multimodality Imaging Study in an Animal Model

Alberto Cecconi1,2, Jean Paul Vilchez-Tschischke1,3, Jesus Mateo1

  • 1Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Calle de Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.

Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research
|March 7, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Colchicine may stabilize atherosclerotic plaques by reducing inflammation and plaque burden. This study in rabbits suggests colchicine

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Inflammation Biology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Stable coronary artery disease (CAD) benefits from colchicine.
  • Atherosclerotic plaque stabilization is a key therapeutic goal in CAD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate colchicine's effects on atherosclerotic plaque stabilization.
  • To assess colchicine's impact on plaque inflammation and burden.

Main Methods:

  • Atherosclerosis induced in rabbit abdominal aorta via high-cholesterol diet and balloon injury.
  • Animals randomized to colchicine or placebo treatment.
  • Multimodal imaging including MRI, 18F-FDG PET/CT, OCT, and histology used for assessment.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in atherosclerotic burden (normalized wall index) between groups.
  • Colchicine treatment led to a decrease in maximum 18F-FDG standardized uptake value (meanSUVmax), indicating reduced inflammatory activity, while placebo showed an increase.
  • Animals with higher cholesterol levels showed significant benefits with colchicine regarding plaque burden and reduced inflammatory activity.

Conclusions:

  • Colchicine may stabilize atherosclerotic plaques by reducing inflammatory activity.
  • The drug appears to reduce plaque burden without altering macrophage infiltration or plaque typology.
  • Findings support colchicine's potential role in managing atherosclerosis.
Keywords:
Animal modelAtherosclerosisColchicineImagingInflammationPlaque morphology

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