With the methods used, we found no effects of intracoronary injection of autologous mononuclear BMC on global left ventricular function.

BPA may offer an alternative form of treatment in selected CTEPH patients. While prognostic markers such as haemodynamics, functional capacity and biomarkers improve, significant periprocedural complications must be recognised. Randomised trials are warranted.

Background-Normal left ventricular myocardium demonstrates distinct spikes in the velocity trace before and after left ventricular ejection. We tested the hypothesis that the preejection and postejection velocity spikes reflect early systolic shortening and late systolic lengthening that are interrupted by mitral and aortic valve closure, respectively. Methods and Results-In 11 anesthetized dogs, timing of valve closure was determined by pressure variables; left ventricular dimensions were determined by sonomicrometry. Myocardial shortening started 20Ϯ10 ms (meanϮSD; PϽ0.001) before mitral valve closure and was interrupted at the time of mitral valve closure (time difference, 4Ϯ7 ms). Similarly, myocardial lengthening started 31Ϯ15 ms (PϽ0.001) before aortic valve closure and was interrupted at the time of aortic valve closure (time difference, 0Ϯ3 ms). Prevention of mitral (nϭ4) and aortic (nϭ4) valve closure by stenting the valves abolished the preejection and postejection velocity spikes, respectively. Echocardiographic measurements of patients (nϭ15) with severe mitral regurgitation showed that the preejection velocity spike was reduced after prosthetic valve replacement (43Ϯ25 versus 32Ϯ15 mm/s; Pϭ0.036), indicating that preejection shortening was larger with a leaking valve. Similarly, late systolic lengthening was reduced in patients (nϭ15) with severe aortic regurgitation after prosthetic valve replacement; minimum postejection velocity spike was increased from Ϫ32Ϯ11 to Ϫ17Ϯ11 mm/s; Pϭ0.0003). Asynchronous onset of contraction/ relaxation and atrioventricular interaction were investigated as alternative mechanisms of the velocity spikes in dogs and patient groups but were found implausible. Conclusions-This

In nine healthy adult volunteers, pulmonary magnetic resonance angiography was performed with the blood pool agent NC100150 injection combined with respiratory gating with a navigator echo. With increasing doses of the contrast agent, higher signal intensities and vessel branch order visualization were achieved. No motion artifacts were seen. The blood pool agent NC100150 injection in combination with respiratory navigator gating permitted acquisition of high-quality MR angiograms of the pulmonary vasculature during continuous breathing.

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