Relationship between hydration and proton nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times in tissues of tumor-bearing and non-tumor-bearing mice: implications for cancer detection.

Abstract

Preneoplastic mammary nodule tissue and mammary neoplasms could be distinguished from normal murine pregnant mammary tissue by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation times (T1 and T2) and diffusion coefficient of water protons. The presence of a growing mammary tumor in the host altered the TJ and Tz of water protons in other organs such as spleen and kidneys. These changes in T1 and T2 were independent of changes in organ hydration. The presence of an oncogenic mammary tumor virus in C3H mice also significantly influenced the T1 and T2 of water protons in some organs. These data strongly suggest that the water-macromolecular interactions in tissues are altered by several different factors (i.e., the presence of a tumor or virus in the host) and are not strictly correlated with tissue hydration. The data suggest that NMR spectroscopy may be useful in cancer research and cancer detection.