PURPOSE To clarify the atheroma specific enhancement of Gadofluorine and the characteristics of the enhancement pattern of Gadofluorine. METHOD AND MATERIALS Thirteen male New Zealand white rabbits fed with a hypercholesterol diet after inducing diabetes mellitus by injecting them with 65 mg/kg of Streptozotocin and two non-treated normal rabbits were used for these experiments. The initimal injury procedure was not done. The MR imaging was performed at 18 to 24 weeks after inducing diabetes mellitus. The animals were divided into four groups; Group I- atheroma model and 2 days delayed Gadofluorine enhancement (100 關mol/kg) (n=5), Group II - atheroma model and 9 days delayed Gadofluorine enhancement(100 關mol/kg) (n=5), Group III - atheroma model and non contrast enhancement (n=3), Group IV - normal aorta with 2 days delayed Gadofluorine enhancement (100 關mol/kg) (n=2). The rabbit aorta was dissected and three segments were obtained in each animal. Ex vivo MRI of the segments were obtained with a 14 T micro MR system. Fat saturated T1-weighted spin echo images were obtained. Histologic examinations were performed after Hematoxylin-eosin staining of the corresponding aorta segment. Three segments per rabbit, two slices per segment and 4 sectors per slice were analyzed. Those areas of atheroma showing higher signal intensity than media layer of the aorta were considered to be enhanced. The presence of enhancement and the pattern of enhancement were analyzed according to the thickness and component of the atheroma. RESULTS The atheroma positive sectors showed enhancement in 100% of the sectors (105/105) in group I and 95.4% of the sectors (104/109) in group II. However, there was no enhancement in groups III or IV. The average signal intensity ratio between atheroma and aorta wall were 1.418 in group I, 1.238 in group II and 0.863 in group III. The thick atheroma showed stronger enhancement, but the atheroma components in histologic examinations did not affect the degree of enhancement of the atheroma. CONCLUSIONS Gadofluorine shows specific enhancement in the early stages of atheroma and there is no specific tissue component affinity of Gadofluorine.