Measurement of relative regional tumor blood flow in mice by deuterium NMR imaging.

A noninvasive method to measure relative regional tumor blood flow (rTBF) throughout murine tumors which uses deuterium NMR imaging to observe regional uptake of HOD after bolus iv injection of D2O is introduced. HOD uptake images are formed by subtraction of a background (preinjection) image from 94-s gradient-refocused deuterium NMR images acquired starting 30 s and 10 min after D2O injection. The pixel intensity in the HOD uptake image acquired starting 30 s after injection is directly related to rTBF with a limit of detection estimated at 7 ml/(100 g-min). The image acquired 10 min after D2O injection extends the estimated limit of detection for rTBF to 3 ml/(100 g-min). Heterogeneity in rTBF and regional effects of photodynamic therapy within RIF-1 tumors are readily perceived. This method may provide a valuable tool to further our understanding of the relationship between blood flow and therapeutic response in tumors.