title: Optison (FS069) disrupts the blood-brain barrier in rats.
abstract: Optison is a new echocardiographic contrast agent, designed for IV injection, that is very useful in delineating cardiac structures during ultrasound examination. Because Optison could be a valuable adjunct in the diagnosis and evaluation of congenital heart disease, this study was undertaken to assess its effects on the blood-brain barrier when introduced directly in the cerebral circulation, as might occur with some congenital lesions. In this study, Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized, and Optison, at various dosages, was injected into the carotid artery. After this, Evans blue dye, a marker for blood-brain barrier disruption, was injected at different time intervals. Gross and histologic examination of the animals' brains revealed disruption of the blood-brain barrier that appeared to be Optison-dosage-dependent. Although the mechanism for this disruption is unclear, it may be related to the use of octofluoropropane gas used in the Optison as a contrast medium. Further studies are necessary to determine the pathologic consequences of Optison's effects on the blood-brain barrier.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi 39216-4505, USA. gmychaskiw@anesthesia.umsmed.edu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mychaskiw
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Badr
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tibbs
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Clower
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D002196:Capillaries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004452:Echocardiography; D005070:Evans Blue; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005740:Gases; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; C099458:FS 069; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D005740:Gases; D005070:Evans Blue; C042852:perflutren