Detection of ischemic myocardium with a new hypoxic tissue targeting tracer99Tcm-HL91

Summary The imaging appearances of⁹⁹Tc^m-HL91, a new hypoxic imaging agent, in ischemic myocardium were studied and the value of⁹⁹Tc^m-HL91 in the evaluation of regional ischemic viable myocardium was explored. Acute myocardial ischemia models were made by coronary artery legations in 18 rats and randomly divided into 2 groups:⁹⁹Tc^m-HL91 group and⁹⁹Tc^m-MIBI group. Evan blue infusion during ischemia and TTC staining after operation were used to delineate the area of ischemic and viable myocardium. The isolated heart was sliced in the short axis and then autoradiography was performed. The electron microscopic examination was also done for the myocardial samples.⁹⁹Tc^m-HL91 and⁹⁹Tc^m-MIBI uptake activities (counts/g) were measured in the area of ischemic myocardium (T) and normal myocardium (NT) separately. The uptake ratios of⁹⁹Tc^m-HL91 and that of⁹⁹Tc^m-MIBI in ischemic myocardium were calculated as T/NT. It was found that the normal myocardium was blue and ischemic or infarct myocardium was negative with Evans blue in all experiment rats. Both the normal and ischemic myocardium was in red color with TTC staining. In the⁹⁹Tc^m-HL91 group the ischemic myocardium showed much higher uptake over normal myocardium, that was demonstrated both in the autoradiography and quantitative analysis. The ischemic/normal activity ratios were 1.634±0.354. It was suggested that⁹⁹Tc^m-HL91 might accumulate in ischemic and viable myocardium, which is helpful in the evaluation of hypoxic but viable myocardium and potentially used as a imaging agent to assess myocardial viability. Lü Jiagao, male, born in 1965, Associate Professor