Data from: Combined low-frequency ultrasound and urokinase-containing microbubbles in treatment of femoral artery thrombosis in a rabbit model

This paper aims to study the thrombolytic effect of low-frequency
ultrasound combined with targeted urokinase-containing microbubble
contrast agents on treatment of thrombosis in rabbit femoral artery; and
to determine the optimal combination of parameters for achieving
thrombolysis in this model. A biotinylated-avidin method was used to
prepare microbubble contrast agents carrying urokinase and Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser
(RGDS) peptides. Following femoral artery thrombosis in New Zealand white
rabbits, microbubble contrast agents were injected intravenously, and
ultrasonic exposure was applied. A 3 × 2 × 2 factorial table was applied
to categorize the experimental animals based on different levels of
combination of ultrasonic frequencies (Factor A: 1.6 MHz, 2.2 MHz, 2.8
MHz), doses of urokinase (Factor B: 90,000 IU/Kg, 180,000 IU/Kg) and
ultrasound exposure time (Factor C: 30 min, 60 min). A total of 72
experimental animals were randomly divided into 12 groups (n = 6/group).
Doppler techniques were used to assess blood flow in the distal end of the
thrombotic femoral artery during the 120 minutes thrombolysis experiment.
The rate of recanalization following thrombolysis was calculated, and
thrombolytic efficacy was evaluated and compared. The thrombolytic
recanalization rate for all experimental subjects after thrombolytic
therapy was 68.1%. The optimal parameters for thrombolysis were determined
to be 1) an ultrasound frequency of 2.2 MHz and 2) a 90,000 IU/kg dose of
urokinase. Ultrasound exposure time (30 min vs. 60 min) had no significant
effect on the thrombolytic effects. The combination of local low-frequency
ultrasound radiation, targeted microbubbles, and thrombolytic urokinase
induced thrombolysis of femoral artery thrombosis in a rabbit model. The
ultrasonic frequency of 2.2 MHz and urokinase dose of 90,000 IU/kg induced
optimal thrombolytic effects, while the application of either 30 min or 60
min of ultrasound exposure had similar effects.