Estimation of myocardial perfusion using deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance.

A technique to estimate regional and/or global myocardial perfusion in-vivo was developed using deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance measurement of perdeuterated saline washout from the myocardium of 9 dogs. Washout data were fitted to a one-component plus baseline Kety-Schmidt exponential model. To assess the ability of this technique to reliably measure changes in perfusion during change in myocardial workload, norepinephrine (1 microgram/kg/min) was infused and hypoxia was induced (by increasing the inspired ratio of N2/O2 to obtain a PAO2 of 20-30 mmHg) in separate interventions. Myocardial work, as determined by heart rate X systolic blood pressure, increased during both interventions. To support this increased workload, myocardial perfusion increased during both physiological interventions. These data indicate that myocardial perfusion can now be reliably estimated with a non-radioactive, non-toxic (in the concentrations used) tracer, perdeuterated saline. The technique can be used for repeated real-time measurements of perfusion during sequential physiological interventions.