Objectives To evaluate acute myocardial ischaemia using ¹¹C-N-CH₃- Dopamine which is cardiac sympathetic nerve molecular probe compared with ¹³NH₃H₂O myocardial perfusion.

Methods Bama miniature pigs (n = 12, 6 male, 6 female, 1-1.5 y old, 30 kg-40 kg, provided by the Animal Research Institute of Northeast Agricultural University of China) were used in this study. AMI model were made by ligating the blood stream of 1/3 of descending branch of left coronary artery (LAD) in pigs for ligating 30 minutes and releasing. ¹¹C-N-CH₃-dopamine and ¹³NH₃H₂O PET/CT imaging were performed in pigs before moulding and after the success of modelling first week and first, third and sixth months.

Results (1) The areas of radioactive sparseness and defect in ¹¹C-N-CH3-dopamine imaging were larger than similar with stress ¹³NH₃H₂O myocardial perfusion imaging in 12 pigs after the success of modelling first week. (2) The areas of radioactive sparseness and defect in ¹¹C-N-CH₃-dopamine imaging were more than stress ¹³NH₃H₂O myocardial perfusion imaging in 12 pigs after the success of modelling first and third months. And the areas of radioactive sparseness and defect in ¹¹C-N-CH₃-dopamine imaging after the success of modelling were gradually expanded over time from first week to third months. (3)The areas of radioactive sparseness and defect in ¹¹C-N-CH₃-dopamine imaging after the success of modelling were gradually shrinked over time from third months to sixth months.

Conclusions ¹¹C-N-CH₃-dopamine was more sensitive diagnosis method for myocardial ischaemia compared with ¹³NH₃H₂O myocardial perfusion imaging and range and degree of cardiac nerve injury more than perfusion and recovery slowly under ischaemic condition.