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Patients with severe chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) exhibit a highly altered myocardial pattern of perfusion, metabolism, and mechanical performance. In this context, the diagnosis of stunning remains elusive not only because of methodological and logistic considerations, but also because of the pathophysiological characteristics of the myocardium of these patients. In addition, a number of alternative pathophysiological mechanisms may act by mimicking the functional manifestations usually attributed to stunning. The present review describes three mechanisms that could theoretically lead to reversible mechanical dysfunction in these patients: myocardial wall stress, the tethering effect, and myocardial expression and release of auto- and paracrine agents. Attention is focused on the role of these mechanisms in scintigraphically "normal" regions (i.e., regions usually showing normal perfusion, glucose metabolism, and cellular integrity as assessed by nuclear imaging techniques), in which stunning is usually considered, but these mechanisms could also operate throughout the viable myocardium. We hypothesize that reversion of these three mechanisms could partially explain the unexpected functional benefit after reperfusion recently highlighted by high-spatial-resolution imaging techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In severe coronary artery disease (CAD), it has been shown that intramyocardial inotropic reserve as assessed with tagged magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is uniformly distributed among positron emission tomography (PET) patterns reflecting normal or concomitant reductions in perfusion and glucose metabolism. This preliminary study aimed to delineate the relationship between preoperative values of intramyocardial inotropic reserve (in different PET patterns of perfusion and glucose uptake) and intramyocardial functional outcome after surgical revascularization in severe CAD. Twelve patients underwent preoperative tagged MRI (baseline, 10 μg·kg-1·min-1 of dobutamine), H215O/[18F]fluoro-deoxyglucose PET imaging, and postoperative resting tagged MRI. Regional midmyocardial circumferential shortening (Ecc, in %) and PET patterns (normal, match viable, mismatch viable, and infarcted) were assessed in three tagged MRI/PET short-axis slices. Ecc at baseline ranged from 12 ± 6 to 8 ± 5 and 4 ± 4% in normal, match-viable, and infarcted regions, respectively (P < 0.05) and was 8 ± 5% in mismatch-viable regions. Of the 429 regions studied, 187 showed preoperative inotropic reserve with dobutamine, but 238 showed postoperative functional improvement. Postoperative functional improvement was less common in infarcted regions (41 vs. ∼60% in the other PET patterns), but the extent of improvement was similar among PET patterns (∼6%). Postoperative functional improvement occurred in 53% of all (normal, match viable, and mismatch viable) regions without inotropic reserve. In severe CAD, revascularization affords greater intramyocardial functional benefit than expected from the evaluation of intramyocardial inotropic reserve with low-dose dobutamine. Postoperative functional improvement in PET-viable regions without inotropic reserve suggests that factors other than regionally enhanced perfusion contribute to such functional improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of blood flow reductions on the intramyocardial inotropic reserve has not yet been established in coronary artery disease (CAD). We therefore evaluated in severe CAD the relationship between positron emission tomography (PET) patterns of perfusion and glucose uptake and the corresponding tagged magnetic resonance imaging (tagged MRI) values of midmyocardial strains under low-dose dobutamine. Eighteen patients underwent tagged MRI (at rest with dobutamine) and H215O/18F fluorodeoxyglucose PET. Regional midmyocardial circumferential shortening (Ecc) and PET patterns (normal, match viable, mismatch viable, and infarcted) were assessed in three tagged MRI/PET short-axis slices. Regional Ecc at rest correlated with both perfusion (r = 0.49) and glucose uptake (r -= 0.58). The presence of the inotropic reserve was similar in normal, match viable, and infarcted (∼40% of regions vs. 52% in mismatch viable. P < 0.05), but die extent of the increase after dobutamine was lower in infarcted regions (P = 0.06). Within each PET pattern, regions were grouped according to their Ecc values at rest into three categories (high, intermediate, and low contractile performance). In mismatch viable (hibernation), the inotropic reserve was similar among the three categories, but in the other PET patterns the presence and extent of the inotropic reserve was higher in those regions with lowest Ecc– (without significant differences in perfusion). In severe CAD, the presence of die inotropic reserve assessed by midmyocardial changes under dobutamine does not relate to resting perfusion. At a similar level of perfusion, the presence of the inotropic reserve is inversely related to contractile performance at rest, but our results suggest that it may not be true for hibernating myocardium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although mutations in cardiac sodium and potassium channel genes are associated with congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS), a "modifier" role of the sympathetic nervous system was proposed to explain the distinct severity of the disease. We evaluated cardiac sympathetic innervation using [[sup 11]C]hydroxyephedrine ([[sup 11]C]HED) and positron emission tomography (PET) in genotyped LQTS patients. H[sub 2][sup 15]O and [[sup 11]C]HED PET studies were performed in 11 patients (5 symptomatic) and 8 controls. Perfusion and [[sup 11]C]HED images were depicted as 36-sector polar maps. Sectorial values of perfusion (H[sub 2]O[sub %]), absolute (HED[sub Ret]) and relative retention (HED[sub %Ret]) of [[sup 11]C]HED, and the ratio of HED[sub %Ret] to H[sub 2]O% (HED[sub %Ret]H[sub 2]O[sub %]) were calculated. Normal databases were obtained from controls. Sectorial values below 2SD database values were defined as "outside sectors." Controls and patients showed similar sectorial perfusion. Sectorial HEDger did not differ between groups, but means of HED[sub %Ret] were lower in three sectors for patients (P < 0.05). Three sectors from 3 controls had HED[sub %Ret] below 2SD, whereas 36 sectors in 9 patients were outside sectors (P < 0.01). In patients, average HED[sub %Ret/H[sub 2]O[sub %] was lower in 9 sectors (P < 0.05 vs. controls); 2 outside sectors were found in controls, but 43 outside sectors were found in patients (P < 0.01), 77% of them in the 5 symptomatic patients. Heterogeneous [[sup 11]C]HED retention was localized in the septal, anterior, and lateral walls. Most LQTS patients showed a localized and decreased pattern of [[sup 11]C]HED retention. The larger number of heterogeneous sectors in symptomatic patients suggests that sympathetic function could play an amplifier role for severity of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies perfusion-MVO2 mismatch during inotropic stress in coronary artery disease patients with normal contractile function. Experimental protocol; Quantitative coronary arteriography and left ventriculography; Statistical analyses; Relation between myocardial perfusion and metabolism.