Validation of 19f-magnetic resonance determination of myocardial blood volume

The use of perfluorochemical (PFC) emulsions to study the myocardial circulation by means of 19F NMR requires that the biodistribution of the PFC be known. The authors tested the hypothesis that PFC particles remain within the myocardial vascular space by infusing rats with both a PFC emulsion and 125I‐albumin. Measurement of myocardial vascular volume by 19F NMR and by standard radiotracer analysis of the same tissue yielded concordant values by the two methods, establishing the PFC emulsion as an intravascular agent in this tissue. Perfluorochemical emulsions should be useful for the noninvasive study of myocardial vascular physiology by magnetic resonance.