[Ultrasound microbubbles promote thrombolysis of rabbit femoral artery thrombus].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of intravenous ultrasound microbubbles for thrombolysis of arterial thrombus without using thrombolytic drugs.


METHODS
Twelve rabbit models of acute bilateral femoral artery thrombosis were established and 6 of them received transcutaneous ultrasound and intravenous albumin microbubble treatment for thrombosis on one side while only microbubble treatment for the other side. The other 6 rabbits received ultrasound treatment on one side but no treatment on the other to serve as the control group.


RESULTS
None of the 6 arteries treated with microbubbles alone and only 2 arteries treated with ultrasound alone in the 6 control rabbits were recanalized. All the 6 femoral arteries treated with microbubbles together with ultrasound were recanalized (P=0.014), with significantly shorter patent time and smaller residual thrombus cross-sectional area than those of the arteries with only ultrasound treatment (P=0.004 and P=0.003, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with intravenous microbubbles assisted by transcutaneous ultrasound effectively promotes arterial thrombolysis in vivo, and this technique can be of significance in clinical treatment of acute thrombotic occlusions.
Ou
Wen-chao
WC
Department of Cardiology, Nangfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Xiu
Jian-cheng
JC
Xie
Jin-guo
JG
Zha
Dao-gang
DG
Liu
Jian
J
Hao
Rui
R
Bin
Jian-ping
JP
Liu
Yi-li
YL
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000628:therapy*; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000379:methods*