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Dissection and Imaging of Active Zones in the Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction
Published on: April 27, 2011
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Selective infarct zone imaging with intravenous acoustically activated droplets.
Songita A Choudhury1, Feng Xie1, Shelby Kutty1
1University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America.
Plos One
|December 15, 2018
Summary
Definity microbubbles (MB) can be compressed into droplets for enhanced infarct imaging. This technique allows for selective visualization of myocardial infarct zones, improving diagnostic accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Microbubbles (MB) can be compressed into nanometer-sized droplets, which exhibit unique imaging characteristics when reactivated by diagnostic ultrasound.
- These acoustically activated droplets offer potential for novel diagnostic applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that Definity microbubbles (MB) compressed into droplets can be used for infarct-enhancement imaging.
- To evaluate the efficacy of Definity droplets (DD) for selective imaging of myocardial infarct zones.
Main Methods:
- Myocardial infarction was induced in rats and pigs via LAD artery ligation or balloon occlusion.
- Intravenous injections of Definity droplets (DD) were administered, followed by ultrasound imaging at varying mechanical indices (MI) and frame rates.
- Infarct size was validated using delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (DE-MRI) and post-mortem TTC staining.
Main Results:
- Increasing MI to 1.5 in rats produced a transient enhancement zone (TEZ) that correlated with infarct size (r = 0.94, p<0.001).
- Definity droplets (DD) were detected within the infarct zone, while Definity MB did not produce a TEZ.
- In pigs, low frame rate imaging selectively enhanced the infarct zone (IZ), correlating with DE-MRI and TTC defect size (r = 0.90, p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Definity droplets (DD), formulated from commercially available microbubbles (MB), can be acoustically activated.
- This technique enables selective infarct enhancement imaging, offering a promising diagnostic tool for cardiovascular applications.
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