Transfer of diabetes type 1 by bone-marrow transplantation

emission of Levovist in the liver parenchyma. It is known that when microbubbles are insonated at relatively high sound pressures (although still within accepted limits for diagnostic imaging) transient, intense, wide-frequency Doppler signals—such as we observed—are emitted, even when the microbubbles are stationary. The effect is best recognised with an encapsulated microbubble currently in clinical trials, SH563A (Schering), but has been described with Levovist in animal models. Our experience also suggests Levovist has liver-specific properties after an initial blood-pool phase. Although known to occur with SH563A, this has not been previously described with Levovist. SH563A undergoes intracellular uptake by the reticuloendothelial system, but we do not know if Levovist undergoes a similar fate. An alternative explanation would be selective retention in the liver microvasculature. This effect means that Levovist could have new applications as a liver-specific agent, and may help in the detection of otherwise occult metastatic disease.