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Gas-filled liposomes as echocardiographic contrast agents in rabbits with myocardial infarcts
1Department of Radiology, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson 85724.
Rationale And Objectives:
The authors evaluated gas-filled liposomes as echocardiographic contrast agents in rabbits with myocardial infarcts.
Methods:
Ten rabbits underwent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Five animals underwent echocardiography before and after production of myocardial infarct (MI) and four animals had post-MI imaging only. In either case, images were obtained before and after injection of a single dose of 1 mL of gas-filed liposomes. Three radiologists blinded to clinical information reviewed the pre- and postcontrast images and assessed endomyocardial border definition, wall motion, confidence levels for normal versus abnormal wall motion and visualization of papillary muscle and mitral valve.
Results:
Postcontrast scans showed significant improvement (P < .05) in endomyocardial border definition, visualization of wall motion, papillary muscle and mitral valve as well as increased reader confidence level.
Conclusions:
These results are encouraging and suggest that gas-filled liposomes may be a useful contrast agent for echocardiography.