1H NMR relaxation processes in lung tissues at low magnetic fields

Proton spin–lattice and spin–spin NMR relaxation studies were conducted on lung tissue samples from 10 patients. For each case, relaxation properties of tumor tissue were compared with those of the corresponding reference tissue. The spin–lattice relaxation measurements were performed over a wide frequency range, from 10 kHz to 10 MHz, spanning three orders of magnitude. These were complemented by both spin–lattice and spin–spin relaxation data acquired at 18.7 MHz. Notably, the spin–spin relaxation process exhibited a bi-exponential character. This relaxation behavior was quantitatively analyzed using dedicated models to achieve two main goals: to evaluate the diagnostic potential of low-field NMR relaxometry, and to gain insights into the dynamics of water and macromolecules in tissue, in comparison with aqueous solutions of proteins and polymers. The frequency dependence of the spin–lattice relaxation rates was well described by a power-law function, with an exponent of approximately 0.3 closely matching the theoretical prediction for reptation dynamics in polymer systems, associated with the intermolecular relaxation contribution. The combined analysis of spin–lattice and spin–spin relaxation data revealed specific parameters (such as ratios between the relaxation rates or between the amplitudes of individual relaxation components) that can be considered as potential markers of pathological changes affecting molecular dynamics in tissues.