Influence of membrane lipid packing on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images: Study of relaxation parameters in model membrane systems

✍ Scribed by Jumi Lee; Judith A. Barry

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 795 KB
• Volume: 36
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0740-3194
• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.1910360314

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The detailed mechanisms leading to soft tissue contrast in MRI are not known. To explore the physical basis for this phenomena, the effect of acyl chain packing of phospholipid model membranes on water proton relaxation were investigated at 20 MHz at 40°C. Three variables affecting lipid packing were examined: chain composition, toluene concentration, and pH/ionic strength. It is demonstrated that the T~2~ of water protons is strongly influenced by changes in lipid packing, while T~1~ is generally insensitive to these variables. It is also shown that small changes in water content (7 wt%) altered both T~1~ and T~2~ in all systems studied. The results suggest that the physical properties of biological membranes in tissues are an important factor in determining T~2~.