Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Acute myocardial ischemia: magnetic resonance contrast enhancement with gadolinium-DTPA. [Dogs]

Journal Article · · Radiology; (United States)

Gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA) was used to improve the diagnostic utility of magnetic resonance (MR) in detecting early ischemia, before the onset of infarction. Following one minute of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion, 9 dogs were intraveneously injected with either 0.5 mM/kg of Gd-DTPA (6 dogs) or normal saline (3 dogs). There was no visible difference in intensity or alterations in magnetic relaxation times between normal and ischemic myocardium in the control (saline-injected) animals. The Gd-DTPA-injected dogs had a well-defined segment of high intensity representing the ischemic myocardium in the anterior wall of the left ventricle. Both T1 and T2 were significantly shortened in the normal myocardium of the Gd-DTPA animals, but relatively greater T2 relaxation rate enhancement resulted in reduced intensity of normal myocardium, thus increasing contrast with ischemic myocardium. It is concluded that Gd-DTPA has the potential to expand the sensitivity and diagnostic utility of MR in the study of occlusive coronary artery disease.

Research Organization:
UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco
OSTI ID:
6385682
Journal Information:
Radiology; (United States), Journal Name: Radiology; (United States) Vol. 153:1; ISSN RADLA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English