Microvascular obstruction and left ventricular remodeling early after acute myocardial infarction

The presence of microvascular obstruction (MO) within infarcted regions may adversely influence left ventricular (LV) remodeling after acute myocardial infarction. This study examined whether the extent of MO directly alters the mechanical properties of the infarcted myocardium.

Seventeen dogs underwent 90 minutes of balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, followed by reperfusion. Gadolinium-enhanced perfusion MRI and 3D-tagging were performed 4 to 6 and 48 hours (8 animals) and 10 days (9 animals) after reperfusion. Early increase in LV end-diastolic volume (from 42+/-9 to 54+/-14 mL, P<0.05) between 4 to 6 and 48 hours after reperfusion was predicted by both extent of MO (r=0.89, P<0.01) and infarct size (r=0.83, P<0.01), defined as MRI hypoenhanced and hyperenhanced regions, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that extent of MO had better and independent value to predict LV volume than overall infarct size. A strong inverse relationship existed between magnitude of first principal strain (r=-0.80, P<0.001) and relative extent of MO within infarcted myocardium. Also, infarcted myocardium involved by extensive areas of MO demonstrated reductions of circumferential (r=-0.61, P<0.01) and longitudinal (r=-0.53, P<0. 05) stretching. Furthermore, significant reductions of radial thickening (9+/-6% versus 14+/-3%, P<0.01) occurred in noninfarcted regions adjacent to infarcts that had increased (>35%) amounts of MO.

In the early healing phase of acute myocardial infarction, the extent of MO in infarcted tissue relates to reduced local myocardial deformation and dysfunction of noninfarcted adjacent myocardium. Such strain alterations might explain the increased remodeling observed in patients with large regions of MO.