Application of pulsed-gradient 31P NMR on frog muscle to measure the diffusion rates of phosphorus compounds in cells

Pulsed-gradient 31P NMR was used to measure the diffusion rates of phosphorus compounds in aqueous solution and in living muscles. The diffusion rates of creatine phosphate and inorganic phosphate in intact frog muscle cells were reduced by a factor of approximately 2 from those in aqueous solution, which suggests that the apparent intracellular viscosity is approximately 2 times larger than in aqueous solution.

High-resolution proton magnetic resonance spectra of muscle

High-resolution proton magnetic resonance spectra of intact muscles of frog and rat were obtained with selective saturation of the water signal. The spectra consisted of the superposition of a broad component and a high-resolution portion. The line width of the former was about 5 ppm and is assumed to originate from the protons of the macromolecules in muscle. The high-resolution portion showed well-resolved signals arising from creatine phosphate, creatine, carnosine, lactate and lipids. It is suggested that this technique could be used to monitor the intracellular pH by measuring the chemical shift of carnosine and the lipid consumption due to muscular contraction. When the spectrum of 31P-NMR is prepared simultaneously, the ratio of creatine phosphate to total creatine can also be determined.