Measurement of regional lower limb blood flow in normal humans by inhalation of 133Xe.

A non-invasive method of measuring regional calf blood flow after inhalation of 133Xe has been investigated. The mean blood flow at rest was 3.3 ml X min-1 X 100 g tissue-1 by the 133Xe method and 3.5 ml X min-1 X 100 g tissue-1 by plethysmography. There was a significant correlation r = 0.88, P less than 0.001. During exercise the mean blood flow in the anterior tibial compartment increased from 3.4 to 10.9 ml X min-1 X 100 g tissue-1 in ten cases and in the posterior compartment from 3.3 to 7.1 ml X min-1 X 100 g tissue-1 in seven cases as measured by the 133Xe technique. The inhalation method seems to be an accurate, reliable and non-invasive method for measuring tissue blood flow in the human calf at rest and during exercise.