Regional myocardial oxygen tension: ¹⁹F MRI of sequestered perfluorocarbon

Abstract

Abstract A novel noninvasive method of measuring local myocardial oxygen tension (pO 2 ) In the perfused rat heart using 19 F MRI is demonstrated. Tissue pO 2 was determined on the basis of the 19 F spin‐lattice relaxation rate (R1) of perflubron (perfluorooctyl bromide) sequestered in the heart after IV infusion of an emulsion. Spectroscopic measurement of R1 was previously used to measure a global weighted average of oxygen status. 19 F MRI now provides 3D spatial resolution indicating local cardiac pO 2 under normally perfused, globally ischemic, and regionally ischemic conditions.