Ludvigsen TP, et al. - In a minipig model of atherosclerosis, researchers assessed plaque inflammation via ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and gene expression. They fed Göttingen Minipigs with fat/fructose/cholesterol-rich diet (FFC), chow (Control) or FFC-diet altered to chow midway (diet normalization group; DNO) for 60 weeks. Midway and at the termination of this investigation, they evaluated ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/MRI of the abdominal aorta in all groups. They used histology and gene expression to analyze the aorta. With the help of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/MRI technology, it was possible to detect inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques, consistent with increased inflammatory gene expression, in a model of atherosclerosis. Clinical data were confirmed by these findings, with critical implications in pre-clinical drug development targeting plaque inflammation.