Quantitative Studies of Human Cardiac Metabolism by 31P Rotating-Frame NMR

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 84; no. 12; pp. 4283 - 4287
• Main Authors: Blackledge, Martin J., Rajagopalan, Bheeshma, Oberhaensli, Rolf D., Bolas, Nicholas M., Styles, Peter, Radda, George K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01-06-1987; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Datasets; Energy Metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects, investigation technics, apparatus; Heart; Humans; Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - methods; Magnetization; Muscles - metabolism; Myocardium; Myocardium - metabolism; Phosphocreatine - metabolism; Phosphorus; Radio transmitters; Rotation; Skeletal muscle; Spectroscopy; Teeth; Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics; Heart; Human; Investigation method; Myocardium; Phosphorus; NMR spectrometry; Metabolism; Rotating frame
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.84.12.4283

We have developed 31P NMR spectroscopic methods to determine quantitatively relative levels of phosphorous-containing metabolites in the human myocardium. We have used localization techniques based on the rotating-frame imaging experiment and carried out with a double-surface coil probe. Information is obtained from selected slices by rotating-frame depth selection and from a complete one-dimensional spectroscopic image using phase-modulated rotating-frame imaging. The methods collect biochemical information from metabolites in human heart, and we use the fact that the phosphocreatine/ATP molar ratio in skeletal muscle at rest is higher than that in working heart to demonstrate that localization has been achieved for each investigation. The phosphocreatine/ATP molar ratio in normal human heart has been measured as 1.55 ± 0.20 (mean ± SD) (3.5-sec interpulse delay) in six subjects using depth selection and as 1.53 ± 0.25 (mean ± SD) in four subjects using spectroscopic imaging. Measurement of this ratio is expected to give a useful and reproducible index of myocardial energetics in normal and pathological states.