Evaluation of a range of MRI-active pH indicators using a multiple-sample method

Magnetic resonance imaging of electrolysis

This study explores the hypothesis that Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can image the process of electrolysis by detecting pH fronts. The study has relevance to real time control of cell ablation with electrolysis. To investigate the hypothesis we compare the following MR imaging sequences: T1 weighted, T2 weighted and Proton Density (PD), with optical images acquired using pH-sensitive dyes embedded in a physiological saline agar solution phantom treated with electrolysis and discrete measurements with a pH microprobe. We further demonstrate the biological relevance of our work using a bacterial E. Coli model, grown on the phantom. The results demonstrate the ability of MRI to image electrolysis produced pH changes in a physiological saline phantom and show that these changes correlate with cell death in the E. Coli model grown on the phantom. The results are promising and invite further experimental research.

Magnetic resonance imaging of chemistry

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has long been recognized as one of the most important tools in medical diagnosis and research. However, MRI is also well placed to image chemical reactions and processes, determine the concentration of chemical species, and look at how chemistry couples with environmental factors, such as flow and heterogeneous media. This tutorial review will explain how magnetic resonance imaging works, reviewing its application in chemistry and its ability to directly visualise chemical processes. It will give information on what resolution and contrast are possible, and what chemical and physical parameters can be measured. It will provide examples of the use of MRI to study chemical systems, its application in chemical engineering and the identification of contrast agents for non-clinical applications. A number of studies are presented including investigation of chemical conversion and selectivity in fixed-bed reactors, temperature probes for catalyst pellets, ion mobility during tablet dissolution, solvent dynamics and ion transport in Nafion polymers and the formation of chemical waves and patterns.

Blackberry (Rubus spp.): a pH-dependent oral contrast medium for gastrointestinal tract images by magnetic resonance imaging

In this study, seven fruits have been tested on their magnetic properties, paramagnetic metal content and contrast enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of phantom and in vivo. Magnetic susceptibility was determined for the fruit pulps, as well as the contents of paramagnetic metals; iron, manganese and copper. The total content of these metals was 4.3, 8.6, 11.1, 10.9, 12.3, 8.3 and 29.3 mg/kg of fruit for plum, blueberry, apple (red), pineapple, beet, grape, blackberry, respectively, and with magnetic susceptibility of -2.29+/-0.07, -2.43+/-0.07, -2.13+/-0.07, -1.84+/-0.02, -1.75+/-0.01, -1.78+/-0.06, -2.18+/-0.07 SI, respectively. T(1)- and T(2)-weighted MR images were performed for the seven fruits and water (chi= -9.98 x 10(-3) SI) and in one subject. While there was no correlation between the magnetic susceptibility and contrast enhancement, there is a correlation with the total paramagnetic metal content determined with contrast enhancement in MRI. Thus, blackberry (Rubus spp.) contrast enhancement was the highest among the fruits in T(1)-weighted images. Furthermore, this fruit's contrast enhancement shows to be pH-dependent. These characteristics and the wide availability of the Rubus spp. suggest that it should be implemented as an oral contrast agent in images by MR to assess the function of the gastric section of the GI tract. Furthermore, it has the advantage of being a natural meal, so that it can be well tolerated by the patients and use as much as it is needed without side effects.