Noninvasive measurements of infarct size after thrombolysis with a necrosis-avid MRI contrast agent

• Published in: Circulation (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 1999-02, Vol.99 (5), p.690-696
• Main Authors: PISLARU, S. V, YICHENG NI, PISLARU, C, BOSMANS, H, YI MIAO, BOGAERT, J, DYMARKOWSKI, S, SEMMLER, W, MARCHAL, G, VAN DE WERF, F. J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aspirin - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular system; Contrast Media; Coronary Thrombosis - drug therapy; Coronary Thrombosis - pathology; Dogs; Drug Therapy, Combination; Heparin - therapeutic use; Image Enhancement; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medical sciences; Myocardial Infarction - diagnosis; Necrosis; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Thrombolytic Therapy
• ISSN: 0009-7322; 1524-4539
• DOI: 10.1161/01.CIR.99.5.690

Gadophrin-2 is a new MRI contrast agent with high affinity for necrotic myocardium. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether noninvasive measurements of infarct size after thrombolysis are possible with gadophrin-2-enhanced MRI. Coronary artery thrombosis was induced in 3 groups of dogs by the copper-coil technique. Thrombolytic therapy together with aspirin and heparin was initiated after 90 minutes of occlusion. One day (group A), 2 days (group B), or 6 days (group C) after infarction, gadophrin-2 was injected intravenously (50 micromol. kg-1). In vivo T1-weighted segmented turbo-FLASH, in vivo T2-weighted segmented half-Fourier turbo spin echo (HASTE), and T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo MRI of the excised heart were performed 24 hours after gadophrin-2 injection. Regions of strong enhancement were observed on T1-weighted images. Planimetry of short-axis MR images and of corresponding triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC)-stained left ventricular (LV) slices showed a close correlation between the enhanced areas and TTC-negative areas for both in vivo (r2=0.98, P