Combined imaging of oxidative stress and microscopic structure reveals new features in human atherosclerotic plaques.

Human atherosclerotic samples collected by carotid endarterectomy were investigated using electronic paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) for visualization of reactive oxygen species, and nonlinear optical microscopy (NLOM) to study structural features. Regions of strong EPRI signal, indicating a higher concentration of reactive oxygen species and increased inflammation, were found to colocalize with regions dense in cholesterol crystals as revealed by NLOM.