Myocardial left ventricular dysfunction in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: new insights from tissue Doppler and strain imaging.

Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Cardiovascular involvement is frequently underestimated by routine imaging techniques. Our aim was to determine if new echocardiographic imaging modalities like tissue Doppler (TDI), strain rate (SRR), and strain (SRI) imaging detect abnormalities in left ventricular (LV) function in asymptomatic patients with SLE.

Evaluation cardioprotective effects of atorvastatin in rats by real time myocardial contrast echocardiography.

Background: The ability to assess myocardial perfusion in small animals is important, especially to investigate models of myocardial ischemia. Myocardial perfusion is usually assessed by postmortem techniques, eliminating the possibility of follow-up in intervention studies. The purpose of the study was to examine the feasibility of real time myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) to evaluate cardioprotective effects of atorvastatin in a rat model of acute ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Impact of microbubbles on shock wave-mediated DNA uptake in cells in vitro.

Gas-filled microbubbles have been successfully used as gene delivery reagents in combination with diagnostic ultrasound. Although shock wave exposure has been shown to transfect cells with naked DNA in vitro, it has not been tested whether the addition of microbubbles would augment DNA uptake under those conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the impact of microbubbles on transgene expression in vitro under shock wave exposure conditions.

Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction augments protein delivery into testes.

Objectives: Gas-filled microbubbles have become an important tool as ultrasound contrast agents. In recent years, ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) has evolved into a new tool for organ-specific gene and drug delivery. Although many studies have been performed in well-perfused target organs such as the heart or kidney, no study has yet investigated the feasibility of UTMD for delivery of bioactive substances in the testis.

Immediate and chronic effects of AV-delay optimization in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background: Acute changes of the AV-delay in CRT patients have a significant impact on hemodynamics. However, the chronic functional effects of AV-delay optimization have not been systematically examined despite of their potential role for chronic functional improvement.

Methods: Therefore, in this study we investigated whether optimization of AV-delay in CRT patients as assessed by echocardiographic measurement of the velocity time integral of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT-VTI) chronically changes (1) echocardiographic parameters of systolic and diastolic left ventricular function, (2) walking distance in the 6-min walk test, (3) levels of NT-proBNP and (4) quality of life as assessed by a standard questionnaire.

Cardioprotective effects of the novel selective endothelin-A receptor antagonist BSF 461314 in ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Objective: The aims of the study were to visualize the dynamics of ischemia-reperfusion injury by real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography and to investigate the cardioprotective effects of the novel endothelin-A receptor antagonist BSF 461314. BSF 461314 reduced infarct size by 47% and preserved microvascular integrity. Real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography allowed visualization of postischemic microvascular dysfunction and quantification of cardioprotective effects of selective endothelin antagonism.

Fourier phase analysis can be used to objectively analyze real-time myocardial contrast echocardiograms.

Background: Real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) is increasingly used to assess myocardial perfusion. However, objective methods for evaluating MCE are not yet widely available. We sought to validate the ability of Fourier analysis applied to MCE to assess serial changes in microvascular perfusion during coronary occlusion and reperfusion.

Effects of different thrombolytic treatment regimen with abciximab and tirofiban on platelet aggregation and platelet-leukocyte interactions: a subgroup analysis from the GUSTO V and FASTER trials.

Background: Due to considerably high rates of reocclusion under standard thrombolytic therapy GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors have been combined with thrombolytics to improve therapeutic outcomes. Potential reasons for arterial reocclusion may be increased platelet activation, interaction of platelets with other cell types such as leukocytes and inadequate drug dosing due to lack of ideal platelet monitoring. We compared combination therapy regimens consisting of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors and thrombolytics with respect to platelet inhibition and platelet-leukocyte interactions.

Fourier phase and amplitude analysis for automated objective evaluation of myocardial contrast echocardiograms.

Aims: Objective methods for evaluating myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) are not yet widely available. We applied a Fourier analysis to myocardial contrast echocardiograms to identify myocardial perfusion defects.

Methods: Harmonic power-Doppler contrast echocardiograms were performed in 21 patients undergoing Tl-201-SPECT imaging and in 13 controls.

Detection of acute myocardial ischemia during pharmacological stress in graded coronary artery stenosis: analysis of left ventricular asynchrony using Fourier phase imaging in pigs.

Background: Stress echocardiography is increasingly used to identify coronary artery disease, but quantitative techniques are required to improve the accuracy of this method. Current algorithms used to analyze wall motion usually neglect motion asynchrony that is found in acute ischemia. Fourier phase imaging of echocardiographic images may offer the possibility to detect asynchrony, but its feasibility with dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is undefined.

Cyclic variation of myocardial signal intensity in real-time myocardial perfusion imaging.

Background: The presence of cyclic intensity variation during real-time myocardial perfusion imaging (RTPI) has been controversially discussed. We investigated whether cyclic intensity variation is systematically found during RTPI and whether such variations are related to regional functional parameters.

Methods: Intraoperative RTPI were obtained in 12 pigs before, during, and after left descending coronary artery occlusion with 60 mL/h SonoVue infusion.

Potential of gold-bound microtubules as a new ultrasound contrast agent.

Contrast agents based on gas-filled microspheres share the problem of time limited opacification due to low stability of microbubbles. The aim of this study was to test if gold-bound microtubules provide backscattering that allows microtubules to be potentially useful as an ultrasound (US) contrast agent. Gold colloids were immobilized on protein microtubule walls.