Linear relationship between the distribution of thallium-201 and blood flow in ischemic and nonischemic myocardium during exercise.

The purpose of this study was to compare the myocardial distribution of thallium-201 and regional myocardial blood flow during ischemia and the physiologic stress of exercise. Studies were carried out in six dogs with chronically implanted catheters in the atrium and aorta and a snare on the circumflex coronary artery distal to the first marginal branch. Regional myocardial blood flow was measured during quiet, resting conditions using 7–10, of radioisotope-labeled microspheres. Each dog was then exercised on a treadmill at speeds of 5–9 mph at a 50 incline. After 1 minute of exercise the circumflex coronary artery was occluded and thallium-201 and a second label of microspheres were injected. Exercise was continued for 5 minutes. The dogs were then sacrificed and the left ventricle was sectioned into approximately 80 1–2-g samples to compare thallium-201 activity and regional myocardial blood flow.The maximum increase in blood flow ranged from 3.3–7.2 times resting control values. Each dog had myocardial samples in which blood flow was markedly reduced, to less than 0.10 ml/min/g. In each dog there was a close linear relationship between thallium-201 distribution and direct measurements of regional myocardial blood flow. Linear regression analyses demonstrated a correlation coefficient of 0.98 or greater in each dog. These data indicate that during the physiologic stress of exercise, the myocardial distribution of thallium activity is linearly related to regional myocardial blood flow in both the ischemic and nonischemic regions.