[Ultrasound microbubbles promote thrombolysis of rabbit femoral artery thrombus].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of intravenous ultrasound microbubbles for thrombolysis of arterial thrombus without using thrombolytic drugs.

METHODS

Twelve rabbit models of acute bilateral femoral artery thrombosis were established and 6 of them received transcutaneous ultrasound and intravenous albumin microbubble treatment for thrombosis on one side while only microbubble treatment for the other side. The other 6 rabbits received ultrasound treatment on one side but no treatment on the other to serve as the control group.

RESULTS

None of the 6 arteries treated with microbubbles alone and only 2 arteries treated with ultrasound alone in the 6 control rabbits were recanalized. All the 6 femoral arteries treated with microbubbles together with ultrasound were recanalized (P=0.014), with significantly shorter patent time and smaller residual thrombus cross-sectional area than those of the arteries with only ultrasound treatment (P=0.004 and P=0.003, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Treatment with intravenous microbubbles assisted by transcutaneous ultrasound effectively promotes arterial thrombolysis in vivo, and this technique can be of significance in clinical treatment of acute thrombotic occlusions.