Sample Preparation of Atherosclerotic Plaque for SAXS/WAXS Experimentation

Atherosclerosis is often described as a single disease entity; however, the morphology of each plaque is unique to the individual. The field currently lacks a technique that can discriminate stable from unstable plaques, to identify those at risk of a thromboembolic event. Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) holds the potential to be able to identify key materials present in a plaque, such as cholesterol species, collagen, low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), and hydroxyapatite. Protocols have been established for the preparation of excised human atherosclerotic tissue that are investigated herein. This includes the fixing, sectioning, and substrate selection of the sample. Through several sample preparation methods, vast improvements have been made to sample-to-noise ratio and background subtraction.