Absence of clinically significant increase in pulmonary artery pressure after intravenous perflutren injection for myocardial perfusion imaging in pigs.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to evaluate the impact of a continuous intravenous infusion of perflutren on systemic pulmonary artery pressures at clinically relevant doses for myocardial perfusion imaging in pigs.


METHODS
Five anesthetized, ventilated, open-chest pigs were administered perflutren intravenously at a rate of 0.0364 mL/kg/min over approximately 5 minutes.


RESULTS
Optimal, sustained myocardial opacification was achieved in all animals. Perflutren produced transient, reversible increases in pulmonary artery pressures versus baseline: 10.6% (3.0 +/- 1.4 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval 1.7-4.2; P < .01) for systolic, 15.2% (2.5 +/- 1.4 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval 1.3-3.7; P < .05) for diastolic, and 11.6% (2.6 +/- 1.1 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval 1.68-3.65; P < .01) for mean pressures. Heart rate and systemic arterial pressures displayed nonsignificant increases during perflutren infusion compared with baseline.


CONCLUSIONS
A continuous intravenous infusion of perflutren at a rate achieving optimal, sustained myocardial perfusion imaging in pigs induces a mild, transient, not clinically significant increase in pulmonary artery pressures without affecting heart rate or systemic arterial pressures.
de Chantal
Marilyn
M
Research Center, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Amyot
Robert
R
Diodati
Jean G
JG
LeBlanc
A-Robert
AR
Pharand
Chantal
C
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013552:Swine
D003287:Contrast Media; D005466:Fluorocarbons; C042852:perflutren