Gas-filled liposomes as echocardiographic contrast agents in rabbits with myocardial infarcts.
OBJECTIVE
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.
Unger
E
E
Department of Radiology, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson 85724.
Shen
D K
DK
Fritz
T
T
Lund
P
P
Wu
G L
GL
Kulik
B
B
DeYoung
D
D
Standen
J
J
Ovitt
T
T
Matsunaga
T
T
D000818:Animals; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008081:Liposomes; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009584:Nitrogen; D015588:Observer Variation; D011817:Rabbits
D003287:Contrast Media; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008081:Liposomes; D009584:Nitrogen