Abstract
After the inhalation of hyperpolarized 129Xe gas, in vivo spectra from the rat head revealed a dominant peak around 195ppm (Peak A) and another easily resolvable peak near 189ppm (Peak B). We have already confirmed that peak A and peak B originate from brain and non-brain tissue, respectively. In order to confirm that the properties of 129Xe in non-brain tissue are different from those in brain tissue, a comparison is made of the washout times of 129Xe from the brain and non-brain tissues using a strict two-pulse measurement protocol from 12 rats. The washout time of peak B (25.4±10.4sec) was consistently longer than that of peak A (14.7±1.0sec) . Blood flow through scalp tissue and muscle is approximately one-tenth of that in the brain. Hence, it is reasonable to assume that the washout time of the non-brain peak is longer.
