This study examined the effect of different b values on diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) of human prostate by using single-shot spin echo echo planar imaging (SE-EP1) sequences,observed the normal appearances and measured apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in anatomical regions of normal prostate. Twenty-four healthy volunteers (mean age: 32 y) were studied by using a 1.ST system with a phased array surface multicoil. Two kinds of single-shot SE-EPI sequence were used to perform DWI in the prostate in volunteers, with five b values being 0, 30, 300, 500 to 1000 s/mm2. The image quality with different imaging parameters was analyzed and the ADC values in anatomical regions of normal prostate were measured. DWI of prostate was successfully obtained in all volunteers. The images were of good quality, without artifacts containing pixels within the prostate. The contrast was good between the different anatomical regions of the prostatic gland, i.e.,the peripheral zone (PZ), which exhibited higher signal intensity, and the central gland (CG). Signal intensity contrast was related to the magnitude of b values. The ADC values in PZ and CG were (1.27±0.22)× 10-3 mm2/s and (1.01±0.17)× 10-3 mm2/s, respectively. The ADC values were found to he significantly higher in PZ than in CG (P<0.05, paired t-test). Significant differences were found between the slice-selecting component and both the read-out and phase-encoding components of the ADC values. It is concluded that SE-EPI is a suitable DWI sequence for human prostate. The contrast between PZ and CG is good when b values are low, while the diffusion and ADC values are accurate when b values are high. ADC values are higher in PZ than in CG in normal prostate. Diffusional anisotropy is present in normal prostatic tissue.