title: Chemical exchange saturation transfer effect in blood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this report, the feasibility of using blood as an agent for Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) effect is investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The CEST effect of porcine blood samples was investigated on a 3.0 T MRI scanner using various power levels and on a 14.1 T NMR spectrometer. As a proof-of-concept that CEST can be used to image blood in vivo, the technique was applied in two locations of healthy human volunteers, namely, the femoral artery and the M1-segment of the middle cerebral artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The blood sample experiments showed that maximum CEST Magnetization Transfer Ratio asymmetry (MTRasym) values of ∼ 12% were achieved, with likely contributions from multiple blood components. These findings were confirmed during the in vivo experiments where CEST signal of blood was clearly greater than surrounding muscular (2%) and brain tissue (3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ex vivo and in vivo results show that blood is a suitable CEST agent that generates sufficient CEST contrast relative to surrounding tissue.
authors: Department of Radiology, UMASS Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Shaokuan
authors: S
authors: Zheng
authors: Imramsjah M J
authors: IM
authors: van der Bom
authors: Zhongliang
authors: Z
authors: Zu
authors: Guoxing
authors: G
authors: Lin
authors: Yansong
authors: Y
authors: Zhao
authors: Matthew J
authors: MJ
authors: Gounis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013552:Swine; D055815:Young Adult