title: Effect of low frequency ultrasound on combined rt-PA and eptifibatide thrombolysis in human clots.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fibrinolytics such as recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) are used to treat thrombotic disease such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and ischemic stroke. Interest in increasing efficacy and reducing side effects has led to the study of adjuncts such as GP IIb-IIIa inhibitors and ultrasound (US) enhanced thrombolysis. Currently, GP IIb-IIIa inhibitor and fibrinolytic treatment are often used in AMI, and are under investigation for stroke treatment. However, little is known of the efficacy of combined GP IIb-IIIa inhibitor, fibrinolytic and ultrasound treatment. We measure the lytic efficacy of rt-PA, eptifibatide (Epf) and 120 kHz ultrasound treatment in an in-vitro human clot model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood was drawn from 15 subjects after IRB approval. Clots were made in 20 microL pipettes, and placed in a water tank for microscopic visualization during lytic treatment. Clots were exposed to control, rt-PA (rt-PA), eptifibatide (Epf), or rt-PA+eptifibatide (rt-PA + Epf), with (+US) or without (-US) ultrasound for 30 minutes at 37 degrees C in human plasma. Clot lysis was measured over time, using a microscopic imaging technique. The fractional clot loss (FCL) and initial lytic rate (LR) were used to quantify lytic efficacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LR values for (- US) treated clots were 0.8+/-0.1(control), 1.8+/-0.3 (Epf), 1.5+/-0.2 (rt-PA), and 1.3+/-0.4 (rt-PA + Epf) (% clot width/minute) respectively. In comparison, the (+ US) group exhibited LR values of 1.6+/-0.2 (control), 4.3+/-0.4 (Epf), 6.3+/-0.4 (rt-PA), and 4.6+/-0.6 (rt-PA + Epf). For (- US) treated clots, FCL was 6.0+/-0.8 (control), 9.2+/-2.5 (Epf), 15.6+/-1.7 (rt-PA), and 28.0+/-2.2% (rt-PA + Epf) respectively. FCL for (+ US) clots was 13.5+/-2.4 (control), 20.7+/-6.4 (Epf), 44.4+/-3.6 (rt-PA) and 30.3+/-3.6% (rt-PA + Epf) respectively. Although the addition of eptifibatide enhances the in-vitro lytic efficacy of rt-PA in the absence of ultrasound, the efficacy of ultrasound and rt-PA is greater than that of combined ultrasound, rt-PA and eptifibatide exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0769, USA.
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Meunier
authors.forename: Christy K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: Arthur M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pancioli
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lindsell
authors.forename: George J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000077542:Eptifibatide; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010455:Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010455:Peptides; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D000077542:Eptifibatide