This study was designed to examine the ability of color-labeled micros
pheres to depict different states of myocardial perfusion in a rabbit
model of ischemia-reperfusion. A thread was passed under the left ante
rior descending artery (LAD) and the first left marginal artery of ane
sthetized New Zealand White rabbits. Blue-labeled microspheres (500/g
body wt) were injected into the left atrium. The thread was tightened
in rabbits belonging to the experimental group (n = 8), and red-labele
d microspheres (500/g body wt) were injected. The snare was loosened,
and yellow-labeled microspheres (500/g body wt) were injected before (
n = 5) or after (n = 3) methylene blue injection. In animals belonging
to the ''sham'' group (n = 4 and n = 2, respectively), the sequence o
f injections was similar, but the snare was not tightened. The animals
were euthanized, and 0.3-1 g sections were cut from ischemic and noni
schemic regions, as determined by methylene blue in the experimental s
ubgroups and from the corresponding regions in the ''sham'' subgroups.
The tissue samples were digested with 4 M KOH, ethanol 70%, and ultra
sonication, and the microspheres were recovered by vacuum filtration.
The dye was chemically removed from the microspheres, and the photomet
ric absorption of each sample was determined. There was no significant
difference between the experimental and ''sham'' groups in baseline u
ptake of blue-labeled microspheres. Rabbits belonging to the experimen
tal subgroups had significantly lower mean uptake of red microspheres
during ischemia relative to ''sham'' (0.51 +/- 0.08 vs 1.06 +/- 0.24 a
nd 0.36 +/- 0.19 vs 0.91 +/- 0.12, respectively). After loosening of t
he snare there was no difference in uptake of yellow-labeled microsphe
res. Color-labeled microspheres depict myocardial ischemia in the rabb
it. The ability of color-labeled microspheres to depict reperfusion hy
peremia remains to be proved.