Rationale and objectives: The authors evaluated gas-filled liposomes as echocardiographic contrast agents in rabbits with myocardial infarcts.
Methods: Ten rabbits underwent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Five animals underwent echocardiography before and after production of myocardial infarct (MI) and four animals had post-MI imaging only. In either case, images were obtained before and after injection of a single dose of 1 mL of gas-filed liposomes. Three radiologists blinded to clinical information reviewed the pre- and postcontrast images and assessed endomyocardial border definition, wall motion, confidence levels for normal versus abnormal wall motion and visualization of papillary muscle and mitral valve.
Results: Postcontrast scans showed significant improvement (P < .05) in endomyocardial border definition, visualization of wall motion, papillary muscle and mitral valve as well as increased reader confidence level.
Conclusions: These results are encouraging and suggest that gas-filled liposomes may be a useful contrast agent for echocardiography.