Evaluation of experimental myocardial infarction models via electromechanical mapping and magnetic resonance imaging

The diagnostic characteristics of electromechanical mapping (EMM) were evaluated in porcine myocardial infarction (MI) models with the parallel application of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) from the aspect of different pathophysiology and localization. Balloon occlusion in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD balloon group) or coil deployment in the LAD (LAD coil group) or circumflex artery (Cx coil group) was applied percutaneously in 16 domestic pigs. Regional left ventricular viability data were captured via cMRI and EMM. The unipolar voltage (UV) value was significantly decreased in segments containing transmural and subendocardial late enhancement compared with viable segments in the LAD balloon, LAD coil, and Cx coil groups. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed area under the curve values of 0.809 and 0.691 in the LAD infarct territory, and 0.864 and 0.855 in the Cx infarct territory for the UV compared with cMRI viability results as transmural late enhancement or viable tissue and subendocardial late enhancement or viable tissue, respectively. In conclusion, the UV value detected the presence of scar tissue with differential transmural extent and which represented proper diagnostic features both in the reperfused and nonreperfused models. This data could provide additional benefit in the clinical use of EMM for diagnostic purposes.