The effect of pulmonary blood flow changes on oxygen-enhanced lung magnetic resonance imaging

In this study, we investigated the effects of changes in pulmonary blood flow on oxygen-enhanced lung magnetic resonance imaging. Increased pulmonary blood flow was produced by intravenous infusion of sildenafil (0.2 mg/kg) in 10 New Zealand white rabbits. Decreased pulmonary blood flow was produced by single subcutaneous injection of monocrotaline (60 mg/kg). A velocity-encoded cine magnetic resonance imaging for pulmonary blood flow and an oxygen-enhanced lung magnetic resonance imaging were performed at baseline, during sildenafil infusion, and after monocrotaline injection. We compared the baseline data to those obtained during sildenafil infusion and after monocrotaline injection for pulmonary blood flow changes and signal intensity enhancement ratios of oxygen-enhanced lung magnetic resonance imaging. Wilcoxon's signed rank test was used for statistical analysis. There was a significant difference between pulmonary blood flow at baseline (418.6 ± 108.9 mL/min) and after sildenafil (491.9 ± 118.0 mL/min; P = 0.005) or between pulmonary blood flow at baseline and after monocrotaline administration (356.3 ± 85.8 mL/min; P = 0.017). However, there was no significant difference between the signal intensity enhancement ratios at baseline (23.8 ± 11.4%) and after sildenafil (24.0 ± 7.9%; P = 0.953) or the signal intensity enhancement ratios at baseline and after monocrotaline administration (22.7 ± 10.3%; P = 0.374). Changes in pulmonary blood flow had little effect on the signal intensity enhancement ratio of oxygen-enhanced lung magnetic resonance imaging.