Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that is pathologically associated with the growth of atherosclerotic plaques and vascular vulnerability. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has been used to evaluate and treat cardiovascular diseases. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that Gd(2)O(3)-doped nanoparticles contrast can be applied for the diagnosis of human diseases. In the present study, eplerenone (EPL), a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, was first doped with Gd(2)O(3) nanoparticles (Gd(2)O(3)-EPL), following which its diagnostic efficacy for use in IVUS measurements (Gd(2)O(3)-EPL-IVUS) was evaluated for patients suspected with atherosclerosis. Gd(2)O(3)-EPL-IVUS presented with higher accuracy and sensitivity compared with IVUS in diagnosing 188 patients with suspected atherosclerosis. Gd(2)O(3)-EPL-IVUS exhibited stronger signals associated with plaque morphology compared with aloe IVUS for patients with atherosclerosis. In addition, Gd(2)O(3)-EPL-IVUS application resulted in clearer arterial plaque images compared with IVUS by binding mineralocorticoid receptors. Atherosclerosis was subsequently confirmed in all patients using computerized tomography-coronary angiography. Gd(2)O(3)-EPL-IVUS showed more accuracy in measuring vessel size, plaque burden and minimal lumen area compared with IVUS analysis alone. In conclusion, these outcomes suggest that Gd(2)O(3)-EPL-IVUS is a reliable tool for the evaluation of coronary lesions in patients with atherosclerosis.