Lucy Elizabeth Kershaw1, Josephine Helen Naish1, Deirdre M. McGrath2, John C. Waterton3, Geoffrey James Parker1
1Imaging Science and Biomedical Engineering, School of Cancer and Imaging Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; 2Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 3Translational Sciences, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, UK
There has been increasing interest in the use of oxygen as a T1 contrast agent in MRI. In this work, 7 smokers and 7 never-smokers underwent dynamic oxygen-enhanced imaging, breathing medical air, then 100% oxygen, then medical air whilst T1 was measured continuously. T1 values were converted to changes in partial pressure of oxygen dissolved in plasma (DPO2). The mean plateau DPO2 value was 350 90 mmHg for smokers and 430 40 mmHg for never-smokers (p=0.049), in agreement with literature values. These noninvasive measurements of DPO2 have potential in modelling of tissue oxygen uptake and gas exchange in the lungs.