آترواسکلروز (2009)

UPDATE 07/2014: A newer version of this animation is now available! Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbShOXhO6p8

This 3d medical animation illustrates the story of how the buildup of cholesterol plaque causes a heart attack (myocardial infarction) from a blocked coronary artery due to atherosclerosis, which is chronic inflammation of the blood vessels. Beginning with damage to the endothelial arterial wall, the animation shows how a white blood cell entering the wall of the artery differentiates (changes) into a macrophage, grabbing and digesting cholesterol.

As the cell does its job, it transforms into a foam cell, which, unfortunately, becomes part of the plaque within the blood vessel wall. Ultimately, over a period of years, the plaque grows and ruptures the blood vessel wall, spilling into the blood stream and eventually blocking the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) supplying the left ventricle.

The animation ends showing an external view of the heart with dark area representing the death of the ventricle wall.

For information on Atherosclerosis, visit http://www.nucleusinc.com/atherosclerosisinfo