Nitric oxide pretreatment enhances atheroma component highlighting in vivo with intercellular adhesion molecule-1-targeted echogenic liposomes.

We present an ultrasound technique for the detection of inflammatory changes in developing atheromas. We used contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging with (i) microbubbles targeted to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), a molecule of adhesion involved in inflammatory processes in lesions of atheromas in New Zealand White rabbits, and (ii) pretreatment with nitric oxide-loaded microbubbles and ultrasound activation at the site of the endothelium to enhance the permeability of the arterial wall and the penetration of ICAM-1-targeted microbubbles. This procedure increases acoustic enhancement 1.2-fold. Pretreatment with nitric oxide-loaded echogenic liposomes and ultrasound activation can potentially facilitate the subsequent penetration of targeted echogenic liposomes into the arterial wall, thus allowing improved detection of inflammatory changes in developing atheromas.