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Biomedical subjects

L D Gillam

Publications and source records attributed to L D Gillam.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Intracardiac ultrasound determination of left ventricular volumes: in vitro and in vivo validation.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess the feasibility of calculating left ventricular volumes using intracardiac ultrasound. BACKGROUND: Previous studies have validated transthoracic echocardiographic determinations of left ventricular volumes and have indicated the superiority of Simpson rule reconstruction algorithms. The feasibility of imaging the left ventricle with intracardiac ultrasound has also been demonstrated. METHODS: The determination of left ventricular volumes with Simpson rule reconstruction of intracardiac ultrasound images was evaluated in two phases. In vitro validation was performed in 29 animal hearts preserved in either a nondistended or distended state. Latex cast volumes were the reference standard. In vivo studies used 14 pigs, and compared intracardiac ultrasound volumes and ejection fraction with single-plane contrast angiographic values. A 12.5-MHz device was used to record short-axis images at 0.5-cm intervals. These were used to reconstruct the ventricle as a stack of cylindric elements using all imaged levels as well as sections recorded every 1 and 2 cm and at a single midventricular level. RESULTS: In the in vitro hearts, when all recorded sections were used, there was excellent agreement between intracardiac ultrasound and latex cast volumes (intracardiac ultrasound volume = 0.89 latex cast volume + 2.22, r = 0.95; intracardiac ultrasound volume = 0.97 latex cast volume + 0.91, r = 0.99) for nondistended and distended hearts, respectively. In vivo, there was again close correspondence between ultrasound and angiographic volumes (intracardiac ultrasound volume = 1.04 angiographic volume - 3.6, r = 0.91). The relation between intracardiac ultrasound and angiographic ejection fraction was fair (intracardiac ultrasound ejection fraction = 1.00 angiographic ejection fraction + 6.85, r = 0.69). Excellent correlations for the volumes were maintained as the number of cross sections was reduced to those recorded every 1 and 2 cm (r = 0.87 to 0.99). With a single midventricular site more variable but generally good correlations were obtained (r = 0.77 to 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: The application of Simpson rule reconstruction to short-axis images of the left ventricle obtained with intracardiac ultrasound provides accurate determination of left ventricular volumes in animal hearts. This technique may prove useful in the analysis of left ventricular structure and function.

Algorithms↗

Localized intramural drug delivery during balloon angioplasty using hydrogel-coated balloons and pressure-augmented diffusion.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess the feasibility of using hydrogel-coated balloons to deliver biologically active agents to the blood vessel wall. BACKGROUND: The local intramural delivery of therapeutic agents during balloon angioplasty has been proposed as an adjunctive technique for preventing early intracoronary thrombosis and late restenosis. METHODS: To assess the efficacy of delivery and depth of penetration in vitro, local delivery of horseradish peroxidase was performed in 40 porcine peripheral arteries, and delivery of fluoresceinated heparin was performed in 20 porcine peripheral arteries and 7 human atheromatous arteries. To determine the persistence of these agents in the vessel wall in vivo, horseradish peroxidase was delivered to 18 porcine peripheral arteries that were harvested at intervals of 45 min to 48 h. Fluoresceinated heparin was delivered to 22 porcine peripheral arteries, 14 with the use of a protective sleeve, harvested at intervals of 30 s to 24 h. RESULTS: In vitro agent delivery was successful in all specimens. The depth of penetration of horseradish peroxidase was directly related to both balloon pressure (p < 0.04) and duration of inflation (p < 0.01). In vivo peroxidase staining was evident at 45 and 90 min but not thereafter. With the use of a protective sleeve, heparin was present in all arteries harvested at 30 s, with marked dissipation at 1 and 24 h. Without a sleeve, no fluorescein staining was detected in any artery. With both agents, delivery occurred consistently over broad regions of the vessel wall that were free of architectural disruption. CONCLUSIONS: Hydrogel-coated balloons can deliver biologically active agents to the vessel wall without gross tissue disruption and may provide an atraumatic method for the local delivery of therapeutic agents during balloon angioplasty.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗

In vivo radiofrequency thermal balloon angioplasty of porcine coronary arteries: histologic effects and safety.

The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and histologic effects of radiofrequency thermal balloon angioplasty in the coronary vasculature of normal pigs. Radiofrequency thermal balloon angioplasty was performed in 30 coronary arteries of 16 nonatherosclerotic pigs. Heated inflations were performed at either 50 degrees, 60 degrees, or 70 degrees C for 30 or 60 seconds, and were compared with five nonheated inflations in five additional arteries. All balloon inflations were performed at 2 atm pressure with a balloon/vessel diameter ratio of 1.2 to 1. Heart rate, arterial pressure, and left ventricular pressure were monitored continuously for each animal. A 12-lead ECG, coronary angiography, and two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography were performed before and 1 hour after each balloon inflation. Each animal was subsequently put to death for postmortem cardiac examination. Heated inflations were well tolerated in 28 of the 30 arteries without significant adverse effects. During one inflation, ventricular fibrillation occurred because of prolonged ischemia from an occlusive guiding catheter. In another artery, a heated inflation resulted in a dissection with a transient decrease in distal coronary flow. Histologic examination revealed a significant increase in wall thinning and elastic fiber straightening with heating at 70 degrees C for both 30 and 60 seconds, and a significant increase in intracoronary thrombus with heating at 70 degrees C for 60 seconds. Depth of periarterial myocardial heat necrosis paralleled the increase in temperature, with an average depth of 166 microns at 50 degrees C, 312 microns at 60 degrees C, and 1031 microns at 70 degrees C. In vivo, radiofrequency coronary angioplasty can be performed relatively safely without significant electrical, hemodynamic, or ischemic changes beyond those seen with conventional nonthermal angioplasty. The extent of heat-induced vessel wall thinning, elastic tissue straightening, intracoronary thrombus formation, and periarterial myocardial necrosis are all related to balloon temperature or duration of heating.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

Low pressure radiofrequency balloon angioplasty: evaluation in porcine peripheral arteries.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency-powered thermal balloon angioplasty in an in vivo porcine model. BACKGROUND: Various modes of thermal energy used adjunctively during balloon angioplasty have demonstrated the potential to enhance the results of acute lumen dilation. METHODS: In normal pigs, 75 peripheral arteries were dilated with a newly designed, radiofrequency-powered, thermal angioplasty balloon. All inflations were performed at 2-atm pressure for 85 s. Dilations were performed either with (hot) or without (cold) the application of heat. Lumen dimensions and vessel morphology were assessed with intravascular ultrasonography. At the end of each study, dilated arterial segments were harvested for histologic examination. RESULTS: Single cold balloon inflations resulted in a 12.7% increase in arterial cross-sectional area whereas single hot inflations resulted in a 22.9% increase (p < 0.03). Similarly, when multiple cold inflations were compared with multiple hot inflations, two, three and four sequential hot inflations resulted in a significantly greater increase in cross-sectional area than an equivalent number of cold inflations (p < 0.03). Histologic examination demonstrated a temperature-dependent effect on the depth of medial necrosis and extent of arterial wall thinning (p < 0.001) as well as evidence for uniform alteration of elastic tissue fibers at temperatures of > or = 60 degrees C (p < 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Low pressure radiofrequency thermal balloon angioplasty results in a greater increase in cross-sectional area in porcine peripheral arteries than does nonheated conventional balloon angioplasty. The pathologic basis for this enhanced dilation may be a temperature-dependent effect on medial necrosis, thinning of the arterial wall or alteration of vascular elastic fibers, alone or in combination.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗

Intracardiac echocardiography in humans using a small-sized (6F), low frequency (12.5 MHz) ultrasound catheter. Methods, imaging planes and clinical experience.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to determine the clinical utility and feasibility of using 12.5-MHz ultrasound catheters for intracardiac echocardiography. BACKGROUND: Intracardiac echocardiography is a potentially useful technique of cardiac imaging and monitoring in certain settings. The feasibility of intracardiac echocardiography using 20-MHz ultrasound catheters in patients has been demonstrated. High resolution images of normal cardiac structures as well as cardiac abnormalities have been obtained. However, imaging has been limited by the shallow depth of field inherent in high frequency ultrasound imaging. METHODS: Intracardiac echocardiography with 12.5-MHz catheters was performed in eight mongrel dogs and 92 patients. Catheters were introduced percutaneously in 80 patients studied in the catheterization laboratory and directly into the heart in 12 patients in the operating room. Right heart imaging was performed in 68 patients and arterial and left heart imaging in 35 patients. RESULTS: When these catheters were introduced into the venous system, the right atrium, tricuspid valve, right ventricle, pulmonary valve and pulmonary artery were visualized. Pericardial effusion, intracardiac masses and atrial septal defects were correctly identified. The left ventricle, left atrium, mitral valve, aortic valve, aorta and coronary arteries could be imaged from the arterial circulation. Diseases identified included valvular aortic stenosis, subvalvular aortic stenosis and Kawasaki disease. Average imaging time was 10 min. No complications occurred as a result of intracardiac echocardiography. CONCLUSIONS: Intracardiac echocardiography with 12.5-MHz ultrasound catheters is safe and feasible; it also provides anatomic and physiologic information. This feasibility study provides a foundation for wider clinical use of intracardic echocardiography.

Adolescent↗

Advantages and limitations of serial coronary arteriography for the assessment of progression and regression of coronary atherosclerosis. Implications for clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials with angiographic end points have been used to assess whether interventions influence the evolution of coronary atherosclerosis because sample size requirements are much smaller than for trials with hard clinical end points. Further studies of the variability of the computer-assisted quantitative measurement techniques used in such studies would be useful to establish better standardized criteria for defining significant change. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 21 patients who had two arteriograms 3-189 days apart, we assessed the reproducibility of repeat quantitative measurements of 54 target lesions under four conditions: 1) same film, same frame; 2) same film, different frame; 3) same view from films obtained within 1 month; and 4) same view from films 1-6 months apart. Quantitative measurements of 2,544 stenoses were also compared with an experienced radiologist's interpretation. The standard deviation of repeat measurements of minimum diameter from the same frame was very low (0.088 mm) but increased to 0.141 mm for measurements from different frames. It did not increase further for films within 1 month but increased to 0.197 mm for films 1-6 months apart. Diameter stenosis measurements were somewhat more variable. Measurement variability for minimum diameter was independent of vessel size and stenosis severity. Experienced radiologists did not systematically overestimate or underestimate lesion severity except for mild overestimation (mean 3.3%) for stenoses > or = 70%. However, the variability between visual and quantitative measurements was two to three times higher than the variability of paired quantitative measurements from the same frame. CONCLUSIONS: Changes of 0.4 mm or more for minimum diameter and 15% or more for stenosis diameter (e.g., 30-45%), measured quantitatively, are recommended as criteria to define progression and regression. Approaches to data analysis for coronary arteriographic trials are discussed.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Immediate regional endocardial surface expansion following coronary occlusion in the canine left ventricle: disproportionate effects of anterior versus inferior ischemia.

The exact time of onset of functional expansion after acute myocardial infarction/ischemia remains unclear in spite of its potential link to chronic pathologic infarct expansion and its potential implications for therapy. To examine this early change in ventricular morphology, 14 open-chest dogs were studied with two-dimensional echocardiography before and after occlusion (10 minutes) of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD, n = 7) or circumflex artery (CIRC, n = 7). The endocardial surface area (ESA) and the area of abnormal wall motion (AWM) were reconstructed from the echocardiographic data using a previously reported technique for quantitatively mapping the ESA and extent of AWM. For the total group (N = 14), the mean ESA before occlusion was 48.9 +/- 9.8 cm2, increasing to 65.7 +/- 18.9 cm2 at 10 minutes occlusion (p less than 0.001). For the LAD subgroup, the mean ESA before occlusion was 50.7 +/- 9.3 cm2, increasing to 79.1 +/- 14.1 cm2 at 10 minutes following occlusion (p less than 0.001). For the CIRC subgroup, the mean ESA before occlusion was 47.1 +/- 10.8 cm2, increasing to 52.3 +/- 12.6 cm2 at 10 minutes after occlusion (p less than 0.001). The ESA increase for the LAD subgroup was significantly larger than that of the CIRC subgroup (LAD range 14.5 to 49.9 cm2 versus CIRC range 1.5 to 9 cm2, p less than 0.0001). Coronary occlusion resulted in similarly sized regions of AWM for both subgroups (LAD, 31.3 +/- 12.2 cm2 versus CIRC, 25.9 +/- 10.3 cm2, p = n.s.). For the LAD group, the largest increase in endocardial circumference occurred within the zone of AWM at the apex (39.9 +/- 12%). The endocardial surface area therefore expands immediately after coronary occlusion and the magnitude of this process is primarily related to the site (anteroapical) rather than to the extent of AWM.

Animals↗

Real-time, intracardiac, two-dimensional echocardiography: enhanced depth of field with a low-frequency (12.5 mhz) ultrasound catheter.

Advances in catheter-based ultrasound imaging technology allow for a unique opportunity to develop two-dimensional intracardiac echocardiography, an imaging method that could have significant clinical applications. In this study, we evaluated the potential of a new, percutaneous, 9-Fr prototype intracardiac echocardiographic catheter with a 12.5-MHz rotating crystal in 13 dogs. In all dogs, we were able to easily advance the intracardiac echocardiographic catheter into the right and left hearts percutaneously and obtain dynamic images of cardiac structures in various imaging planes. With the intracardiac echocardiographic catheter in the right atrium, the whole chamber could be visualized. Minor manipulation allowed visualization of the right atrium, right ventricle, and tricuspid valve in a two-chamber view; further maneuvering yielded four-chamber views. With advancement of the catheter into the right ventricle and pulmonary artery, the right ventricular cavity, right ventricular outflow tract, and pulmonary artery could be imaged. The intracardiac echocardiographic catheter in the aortic root allowed visualization of the pulmonary artery and its bifurcation, superior portions of the atria, interatrial septum, aortic valve, and the proximal left coronary artery. With the intracardiac echocardiographic catheter in the left ventricle, short-axis images of the whole left ventricle were obtained. Manipulating the catheter tip within the left ventricle, we could visualize the left ventricle, left atrium (LA), and the mitral valve in the long axis. We were also able to visualize and identify experimentally-induced ischemic regional left ventricular dyskinesis (four of of five dogs), aortic valvular tear (five out of five dogs), and pericardial effusion with right atrial collapse (two out of two dogs). Intracardiac echocardiography was not associated with any complications. We conclude that percutaneous, low-frequency intracardiac echocardiography with a 12.5-MHz, 9-Fr catheter yields cardiac images in many imaging planes with a good depth of field, allows identification of valvular, myocardial, and pericardial abnormalities, and has excellent clinical potential in the assessment of many cardiovascular disorders.

Animals↗

The fractional shortening-velocity ratio: validation of a new echocardiographic Doppler method for identifying patients with significant aortic stenosis.

Previous studies have shown that Doppler echocardiographic methods based on the continuity equation can accurately determine aortic valve area in patients with clinically significant aortic stenosis; nonetheless, methods based on the continuity equation are time-consuming and may not be technically possible in all subsets of patients. The purpose of this study was to develop and prospectively evaluate a simpler new noninvasive method for determining aortic valve area. With this new method, aortic valve area is obtained by dividing the percent fractional anteroposterior shortening at the midventricular level by 4V2, where V is the peak instantaneous Doppler-derived flow velocity across the aortic valve. In the first part of the study, the fractional shortening-velocity ratio was used to examine a group of 25 patients evaluated retrospectively. There was a highly significant linear relation between the fractional shortening-velocity ratio (FSVR) and the aortic valve area (AVA) determined by the Gorlin formula at cardiac catheterization: FSVR = 1.1(AVA) - 0.1 (r = 0.88; significance of slope p less than 0.001). Furthermore, a fractional shortening-velocity ratio less than 1.1 reliably identified all patients with clinically significant aortic stenosis (aortic valve area less than 1 cm2), whereas a fractional shortening-velocity ratio less than 0.8 reliably identified all patients with critical aortic stenosis (aortic valve area less than 0.7 cm2). This new method was then validated by prospectively applying the fractional shortening-velocity ratio to a group of 44 patients from two separate institutions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aortic Valve↗

Echocardiographic observations in survivors of acute electrical injury.

This report describes for the first time (to our knowledge) persistent left ventricular dysfunction in survivors of electrical injury. Two young men who were resuscitated following electrocution by high tension wires underwent echocardiographic examination after injury. Early studies demonstrated wall motion abnormalities with no to only partial recovery on follow-up. In contrast to a previous report of totally reversible left ventricular dysfunction in a similar setting, these cases suggest that the degree of permanent dysfunction following electrical injury is variable.

Acute Disease↗

The effects of right ventricular hemodynamics on left ventricular configuration.

While abnormalities of right ventricular hemodynamics are known to affect interventricular septal position and shape, their effect on left ventricular shape and possibly function have been less well studied. Accordingly, the two-dimensional echocardiographic appearance of the left ventricle was studied in 11 patients with right ventricular volume overload, 16 with right ventricular pressure overload, nine with combined pressure and volume loads of the right heart and 17 normal control subjects. An index of left ventricular shape (SI) was calculated from end diastolic, mid systolic and end systolic left ventricular short axis area (A) and circumference (C) taken at the level of the tips of the mitral leaflets, using the formula SI = 4 pi A/C2. The left ventricles of normal subjects had relatively round configurations throughout the entire cardiac cycle (SI = 0.86 at end diastole, mid and end systole). Pure right ventricular volume overload produced left ventricular deformity at end diastole only (SI at end diastole = 0.78), with a return to normal configuration during systole. Pure right ventricular pressure load resulted in left ventricular deformation throughout the cardiac cycle, with shape indices ranging between 0.77 and 0.80. Combined pressure and volume overload produced left ventricular deformation during the entire cycle which was of an order of magnitude more severe than any other group (SI = 0.69, 0.70 and 0.65, at end diastole, mid and end systole, respectively). The shape index at end systole showed an inverse correlation with the relative right-to-left ventricular systolic pressure ratio (P = 0.001, r = 0.76). It is concluded that left ventricular configuration is affected by right ventricular hemodynamics.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Evolution of the temporal contraction sequence after acute experimental myocardial infarction.

The effect of infarct maturation on the temporal sequence of contraction within infarct zones has not previously been described. Accordingly, the time-varying pattern of contraction within ischemic/infarct zones was studied with use of cross-sectional echocardiography in 17 dogs at 10 min to 6 weeks after acute experimental myocardial infarction. Left ventricular short-axis images were digitized from end-diastole to end-systole and endocardial fractional radial change along 36 evenly spaced rays was calculated. The circumferential extent of dyskinesia and the number of rays that exhibited maximal dyskinesia were determined for each decile of the normalized contraction sequence. Between 10 min and 1 week after infarction, the greatest circumferential extent of dyskinesia occurred between the 3rd and 4th deciles of the normalized contraction sequence. However, as the infarct matured, the greatest spatial expanse of dyskinesia was noted to occur progressively earlier in the contraction sequence (second decile at 6 weeks), and the extent of mid- to late-systolic dyskinesia decreased markedly. Whereas end-systolic dyskinesia was present in 30% to 50% of ischemic/infarct zone rays from 10 min to 48 h, end-systolic dyskinesia was no longer observed at 6 weeks. Similarly, the maximal amplitude of dyskinesia was most commonly observed during midsystole from 10 min to 48 h, but occurred progressively earlier as the infarct matured, falling during the first decile at 6 weeks after infarction. These data suggest that maximal circumferential extent and amplitude of dyskinesia occur progressively earlier in the systolic contraction sequence as the infarct matures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Calculation of transmitral flow by Doppler echocardiography: a comparison of methods in a canine model.

Although several Doppler echocardiographic methods for measuring transmitral flow have been described, the optimal method for calculation of flow remains unclear. Seven time/shape combinations were tested in an experimental preparation in which mitral flow could be precisely controlled and measured. Annular shape was considered to be either circular or elliptical, and the mitral orifice area was calculated from the anteroposterior and/or the mediolateral dimension(s) recorded at early and middiastole. In addition the orifice area was calculated from the maximal mitral leaflet area corrected for diastolic variation. Transmitral flow ranged between 0.4 and 4.6 L/min. Good correlations with measured transmitral flow (r = 0.83 to 0.92) were observed for all methods of calculating the mitral orifice area. Methods that assumed a circular geometry and used the mediolateral annular diameter overestimated flow. Conversely, flows calculated by means of the anteroposterior diameter with the assumption of a circular anulus underestimated flow. The best approximations of transmitral flow were obtained with the assumption of an elliptical configuration that used measurements made in early diastole (Y = 1.04x + 0.2) and with the Fisher method (y = 0.94x + 0.08). Thus in the canine model approximation of the mitral orifice as an ellipse provides the most accurate measurement of transmitral flow.

Animals↗

Functional relation between infarct thickness and regional systolic function in the acutely and subacutely infarcted canine left ventricle.

Specific information regarding the relation between infarct thickness and regional systolic function is important to the overall understanding of both the pathophysiology of acute and subacute myocardial infarction and the functional benefits of myocardial salvage interventions designed to limit the transmural extent of infarction and thereby preserve left ventricular function. In the present study, quantitative computer-assisted two-dimensional echocardiography was used to define the relation between infarct thickness and systolic function in the acutely and subacutely infarcted canine left ventricle. Echocardiograms were obtained at the mid-papillary muscle level at baseline and 6 h after occlusion (acute infarction) in eight animals and at baseline and 72 h after occlusion (subacute infarction) in nine animals. Systolic function was assessed by measuring the extent of fractional radial shortening along each of 36 evenly spaced endocardial targets from end-diastole to end-systole; the transmural extent of infarction was determined from the triphenyltetrazolium chloride-staining deficit at 6 and 72 h. The relation between systolic function and transmural extent of infarction was analyzed in two ways. First, the extent of fractional radial shortening in each group was examined as a function of quartile (25%) increments in transmural infarct thickness. This analysis revealed 1) a significant overall loss of fractional radial shortening with increasing transmural extent of infarction in both groups; and 2) significant differences in the extent of systolic dysfunction between successive quartile increments of infarction. Second, the relation between infarct thickness and systolic dysfunction was modeled mathematically by fitting the data from each infarct series to linear, logarithmic and exponential functions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Clinical and hemodynamic comparison of VVI versus DDD pacing in patients with DDD pacemakers.

To identify better those subgroups of pacemaker recipients who will benefit from dual chamber pacing, 19 patients with DDD pacemakers that were physiologically paced were entered into a blinded, randomized protocol comparing long-term VVI versus DDD pacing. Patients were evaluated in each of the pacing modes for exercise performance, cardiac chamber size, cardiac output, functional status and health perception. Eight patients (42%) insisted on early crossover, from VVI to DDD pacing, after only 1.8 +/- 1.4 weeks because of symptoms consistent with pacemaker syndrome. Overall, 12 patients preferred DDD pacing and no patient preferred VVI pacing (p = 0.001). Percent fractional shortening (30 +/- 8 vs 24 +/- 6%, p = 0.009) and cardiac output (6.3 +/- 2.6 vs 4.4 +/- 2.2 liters/min, p = 0.0001) where significantly greater in the DDD mode. Exercise duration was greater during DDD compared with VVI pacing (11.3 +/- 3.7 vs 10.1 +/- 3.7 minutes, p = 0.006). However, it was only in the crossover subgroup that DDD pacing resulted in significant improvement in exercise performance and health perception compared with VVI pacing. This subgroup of patients was characterized by an intrinsic sinus rate of less than 60 beats/min (4/8 vs 0/11, p = 0.006), ventriculoatrial (VA) conduction (4/8 vs 1/11, p = 0.048), greater increase in exercise peak systolic blood pressure from VVI to DDD mode (21 +/- 12 vs 4 +/- 13 mm Hg, p = 0.02) and greater improvement in exercise capacity from VVI to DDD pacing (2.2 +/- 1.2 vs 0.6 +/- 1.4 minutes, p = 0.03) compared with the other 11 patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Early natural history of regional left ventricular dysfunction after experimental myocardial infarction.

Existing studies provide conflicting information concerning the natural history of regional dysfunction after subacute myocardial infarction. The purpose of this study was to use quantitative computer-assisted two-dimensional echocardiography to define the natural history of abnormal wall motion in a subacute canine infarct model within individual short-axis echocardiographic planes, and in the entire ventricle as well. Serial short-axis echocardiograms were obtained from 10 closed-chest dogs before occlusion and at 0.5, 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after ligation of the circumflex (six dogs) or left anterior descending (four dogs) coronary artery. The circumferential extent of abnormal wall motion was quantified by two different computer-assisted methods: the first, a derived correlation method, examined wall motion throughout the systolic contraction sequence; the second method examined the fractional radial change in endocardial ray length from end-diastole to end-systole. The study shows that for individual planes there is a slight but not statistically significant increase in the circumferential extent of abnormal wall motion from 0.5 to 72 hours after coronary artery occlusion; however, when the total extent of left ventricular asynergy was used to define a global functional infarct size, we observed a small (3.6% to 5.4%) but significant increase in the circumferential extent of abnormal wall motion.

Analysis of Variance↗

Effects of selectively altering collateral driving pressure on regional perfusion and function in occluded coronary bed in the dog.

To determine whether selectively altering the coronary perfusion pressure in the adjacent nonoccluded vessel has any influence on the occluded bed, the effects of alterations in the perfusion pressure of the left anterior descending coronary artery on the perfusion and function of the acutely occluded left circumflex coronary (LC) arterial bed were studied in 10 anesthetized open-chest dogs. Radiolabelled microsphere-assessed regional myocardial perfusion and endocardial excursion determined by two-dimensional echocardiography were measured during control conditions prior to mid-LC occlusion with left anterior descending coronary arterial pressure (LADP) equal to aortic pressure (AoP) (Stage 0) and to 3 randomly performed postocclusion stages. At each postocclusion stage, the perfusion territory of the occluded LC bed (area at risk) was measured in vivo using myocardial contrast two-dimensional echocardiography. During Stage 1 (LADP = AoP), area at risk was 5.1 +/- 0.9 cm2 (x +/- 1 SD) and transmural blood flow to the LC arterial bed decreased from 0.96 +/- 0.50 ml/min/g (Stage 0) to 0.16 +/- 0.12 ml/min/g (p less than 0.01), while endocardial excursion decreased from 28.0 +/- 9.0% to 2.0 +/- 10.0% (p less than 0.01). During Stage 2 (LADP greater than AoP), area at risk decreased to 4.4 +/- 1.0 cm2 compared with Stage 1 (p less than 0.01), and transmural blood flow, endocardial:epicardial blood flow ratio, and endocardial excursion increased to 0.51 +/- 0.39 ml/min/g, 0.64 +/- 0.20, and 14 +/- 6%, respectively (p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗