Uptake of ²⁰³Hg-hydroxy-mercury-fluorescein in myocardial infarcts

Abstract

Distribution of ²⁰³Hg-labeled hydroxy-mercury-fluorescein was studied in a series of 22 dogs in whom a myocardial infarct was produced by ligation of a branch of the coronary artery. Several procedural variations were tried, but they did not seem to alter the results significantly. The ratio of radioactivities in ischemic myocardium to normal myocardium varied from 5.89 to 1.04. The liver showed a maximum of 29.8% of the administered dose 4 hr after injection, while the kidney showed a maximum of 34.2% at the same time period. The results did not appear to indicate that this agent in its present form would be effective for in vivo scanning of myocardial infarcts.