Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Shift Reagents: Abnormal C Shifts Produced by Complexation of Lanthanide Chelates with Saturated Amines and n-Butyl Isocyanide

Lanthanide-induced shfits of (13)C nuclear magnetic resonances are reported for several amines and n-butyl isocyanide. Contact contributions to such shifts, especially of beta carbons, are clearly important for the chelates of Eu(+3) and Pr(+3). The importance of contact terms is shown to change in a rather predictable manner with the structure of the amine.

Challenges of using MR spectroscopy to detect neural progenitor cells in vivo

A recent report of detection of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in living human brain by using in vivo proton MR spectroscopy ((1)H-MR spectroscopy) has sparked great excitement in the field of biomedicine because of its potential influence and utility in clinical neuroscience research. On the other hand, the method used and the findings described in the report also caused heated debate and controversy. In this article, we will briefly detail the reasons for the debate and controversy from the point of view of the in vivo (1)H-MR spectroscopy methodology and will propose some technical strategies in both data acquisition and data processing to improve the feasibility of detecting NPCs in future studies by using in vivo (1)H-MR spectroscopy.

Time-dependent effects of imatinib in human leukaemia cells: a kinetic NMR-profiling study

The goal of this study was to evaluate the time course of metabolic changes in leukaemia cells treated with the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib. Human Bcr-Abl⁺ K562 cells were incubated with imatinib in a dose-escalating manner (starting at 0.1 μM with a weekly increase of 0.1 μM imatinib) for up to 5 weeks. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry were performed to assess a global metabolic profile, including glucose metabolism, energy state, lipid metabolism and drug uptake, after incubation with imatinib. Initially, imatinib treatment completely inhibited the activity of Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase, followed by the inhibition of cell glycolytic activity and glucose uptake. This was accompanied by the increased mitochondrial activity and energy production. With escalating imatinib doses, the process of cell death rapidly progressed. Phosphocreatine and NAD⁺ concentrations began to decrease, and mitochondrial activity, as well as the glycolysis rate, was further reduced. Subsequently, the synthesis of lipids as necessary membrane precursors for apoptotic bodies was accelerated. The concentrations of the Kennedy pathway intermediates, phosphocholine and phosphatidylcholine, were reduced. After 4 weeks of exposure to imatinib, the secondary necrosis associated with decrease in the mitochondrial and glycolytic activity occurred and was followed by a shutdown of energy production and cell death. In conclusion, monitoring of metabolic changes in cells exposed to novel signal transduction modulators supplements molecular findings and provides further mechanistic insights into longitudinal changes of the mitochondrial and glycolytic pathways of oncogenesis.

1H-NMR metabolic profiling of human neonatal urine

OBJECT

The measurement of different urine components and their changes over time may provide comprehensive and early information about perinatal metabolic processes and physiological changes. We hypothesized that (1) H-NMR-spectroscopy generating a complex spectral profile without pre-selection of urinary metabolites could identify metabolites determining the neonatal physiological status and discriminating between different metabolic states.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We studied spot urine of three groups of neonates (healthy term-born, term-born with non-specific bacterial infections, and preterm neonates) for the first 6 days of life using (1) H-NMR-spectroscopy. In the group of healthy neonates metabolites changing were identified and their excretion patterns compared between groups.

RESULTS

Six metabolites indicating physiological changes were identified: N-methylnicotinamide (NAD (+)-pathway), formate, hippurate, betaine (kidney development), taurine (neuronal development), and bile acids (hepatic clearance). While the dynamic changes over the first 6 days were the same for all metabolites in both groups of term-born neonates, the excretion of N-methylnicotinamide and taurine was significantly higher in preterm neonates compared to healthy term neonates and neonates with bacterial infections from the third day after birth (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Urine analysis using (1) H-NMR-spectroscopy could identify markers for perinatal metabolic changes. Further studies have to clarify if the proposed physiological interpretation will correlate with long-term physiological development.

Effects of environmental hypercapnia on animal physiology: A 13C NMR study of protein synthesis rates in the marine invertebrate Sipunculus nudus

Global climate change is associated with a progressive rise in ocean CO(2) concentrations (hypercapnia) and, consequently, a drop in seawater pH. However, a comprehensive picture of the physiological mechanisms affected by chronic CO(2) stress in marine biota is still lacking. Here we present an analysis of protein biosynthesis rates in isolated muscle of the marine invertebrate Sipunculus nudus, a sediment dwelling worm living at various water depths. We followed the incorporation of (13)C-labelled phenylalanine into muscular protein via high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. Protein synthesis decreased by about 60% at a medium pH of 6.70 and a consequently lowered intracellular pH (pHi). The decrease in protein synthesis rates is much stronger than the concomitant suppression of protein degradation (60% versus 10-15%) possibly posing a threat to the cellular homeostasis of structural as well as functional proteins. Considering the progressive rise in ocean CO(2) concentrations, permanent disturbances of cellular protein turnover might seriously affect growth and reproductive performance in many marine organisms with as yet unexplored impacts on species density and composition in marine ecosystems.

Effect of TEGDMA on the intracellular glutathione concentration of human gingival fibroblasts

Previous studies revealed that primarily small and relatively hydrophilic comonomers, such as TEGDMA, leach out of resin-based restorative materials into aqueous media. Subsequently, these compounds may cause detrimental reactions with intracellular metabolic systems. The present experiments attempted to elucidate the interactions of TEGDMA with the important intracellular reducing agent glutathione (GSH). The influence of various concentrations of TEGDMA (0.5-7.5 mM) on viability and intracellular GSH concentration of primary human gingival fibroblasts was determined by means of a fluorescence assay (monobromobimane) performed in microtiter plates. Cells were treated with TEDGMA between 2 and 24 h. The incubation of fibroblasts with TEGDMA even at subtoxic concentrations quickly decreased the intracellular glutathione level to 30-50% of controls within the first 2-6 hours. However, no simultaneous adverse effect on cell viability was found. Longer incubation periods up to 24 h caused a regulatory reincrease at TEGDMA concentrations <or= 2.5 mM, whereas higher concentrations resulted in a continuous depletion of glutathione concentration concomitant with a significant decrease of cell viability. Because glutathione plays an important role in protection and detoxification processes as well in the regulation of cell death, the early and extensive depletion of the intracellular glutathione pool due to TEGDMA may significantly contribute to the cytotoxic potency of this compound.

13C isotopomer analysis of glucose and alanine metabolism reveals cytosolic pyruvate compartmentation as part of energy metabolism in astrocytes

After incubation of glial cells with both (13)C-labeled and unlabeled glucose and alanine, (13)C isotopomer analysis indicates two cytosolic pyruvate compartments in astrocytes. One pyruvate pool is in an exchange equilibrium with exogenous alanine and preferentially synthesizes releasable lactate. The second pyruvate pool, which is of glycolytic origin, is more closely related to mitochondrial pyruvate, which is oxidized via tri carbonic acid (TCA) cycle activity. In order to provide 2-oxoglutarate as a substrate for cytosolic alanine aminotransferase, glycolytic activity is increased in the presence of exogenous alanine. Furthermore, in the presence of alanine, glutamate is accumulated in astrocytes without subsequent glutamine synthesis. We suggest that the conversion of alanine to releasable lactate proceeds at the expense of flux of glycolytic pyruvate through lactate dehydrogenase, which is used for ammonia fixation by alanine synthesis in the cytosol and for mitochondrial TCA cycle activity. In addition, an intracellular trafficking occurs between cytosol and mitochondria, by which these two cytosolic pyruvate pools are partly connected. Thus, exogenous alanine modifies astrocytic glucose metabolism for the synthesis of releasable lactate disconnected from glycolysis. The data are discussed in terms of astrocytic energy metabolism and the metabolic trafficking via a putative alanine-lactate shuttle between astrocytes and neurons.

Magnetization transfer MRS

This review deals with magnetization transfer (MT) effects observed in in vivo NMR spectroscopy. The basic experimental methods of MT experiments, the underlying kinetic mechanisms as well as the evaluation of measured data by fits to two- or three-pool models are described. Experimental results of both (31)P and (1)H in vivo MRS are reviewed showing the potential of MT experiments to characterize kinetic equilibrium reactions. This includes reactions where all involved components are MR visible, as well as situations where one indirectly measures pools of bound spins which cannot directly be observed in vivo. In particular, MT effects are described which have been observed in in vivo (1)H NMR spectra measured on the animal or human brain or on skeletal muscle. Possible mechanisms for the strong MT effects observed for the signals of creatine/phosphocreatine, lactate, alcohol and other metabolites are discussed. It is also emphasized that MT effects caused by water suppression techniques may lead to systematic errors in the quantification of in vivo (1)H NMR spectra.

Changes in apparent diffusion coefficients of metabolites in rat brain after middle cerebral artery occlusion measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Diffusion-weighted proton MR spectroscopy and imaging have been applied to a rat brain model of unilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion between 1 and 4 hr post occlusion. Similar apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) of most metabolites were observed within each hemisphere. In the ischemic ipsilateral hemisphere, the ADCs were (0.083--0.116). 10(-3) mm(2)/sec for lactate (Lac), alanine (Ala), gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), glutamine (Gln), glutamate (Glu), total creatine (tCr), choline-containing compounds (Cho), and myo-inositol (Ins), in the contralateral hemisphere (0.138--0.158). 10(-3) mm(2)/sec for NAA, Glu, tCr, Cho, and Ins. Higher ADCs was determined for taurine (Tau) in the ipsilateral (0.144. 10(-3) mm(2)/sec) and contralateral (0.198. 10(-3) mm(2)/sec) hemisphere. In the ischemic hemisphere, a relative ADC decrease to 65--75% was observed for NAA, Glu, tCr, Cho, Ins and Tau, which was similar to the decrease of the water ADC (to 67%). The results suggest a common cause of the observed ADC changes and provide a broader experimental basis to evaluate theories of water and metabolite diffusion. Magn Reson Med 45:383-389, 2001.

Metabolic effects of dental resin components in vitro detected by NMR spectroscopy

Earlier studies have shown that the comonomer triethyleneglycol-dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and the photostabilizer 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (HMBP) are cytotoxic and inhibit cell growth. It was the aim of this study to elucidate the underlying metabolic effects of TEGDMA and HMBP on immortal contact-inhibited Swiss albino mouse embryo cells (3T3 fibroblasts) by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Cell extracts and culture media were analyzed by NMR spectroscopy for metabolic changes after incubation for 24 hours with ED20-concentrations of TEGDMA and HMBP. TEGDMA could be detected in all fractions (cytosol, lipid fractions, and culture media) of 3T3 cells, while HMBP was found only in the lipid fraction accumulated at a maximum rate (51 nmol/mg DNA) compared with TEGDMA (27 nmol/mg DNA). TEGDMA increased the concentration of phosphomonoesters to 180+/-36% and decreased the phosphodiesters to 65+/-5% of controls (control = 100%). Thus, the turnover of phospholipids was enhanced, whereas content and composition of phospholipids of membranes did not alter markedly. Additionally, TEGDMA changed the metabolic state of cells, indicated by slight decreases of nucleoside triphosphates and an increase in the ratio of nucleoside diphosphates to nucleoside triphosphates, while HMBP had no effect. The most remarkable effect of TEGDMA was a nearly complete decline of the intracellular glutathione levels. Analysis of our data shows that NMR spectroscopy of cell-material interactions may reveal metabolic effects of organic test substances which are not detectable by standard in vitro assays. The comonomer TEGDMA affected the metabolism of the cells on different levels, while HMBP accumulated in the lipid fraction and induced significantly fewer effects on cell metabolism.

NMR spectroscopic study on the metabolic fate of [3-(13)C]alanine in astrocytes, neurons, and cocultures: implications for glia-neuron interactions in neurotransmitter metabolism

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and biochemical assays were used to study the fate of [3-(13)C]alanine in astrocytes, neurons, and cocultures. (1)H- and (13)C-NMR analysis of the media demonstrated a high and comparable uptake of [3-(13)C]alanine by the cells. Thereafter, alanine is transaminated predominantly to [3-(13)C]pyruvate, from which the (13)C-label undergoes different metabolic pathways in astrocytes and neurons: Lactate is almost exclusively synthesized in astrocytes, while in neurons and cocultures labeled neurotransmitter amino acids are formed, i.e., glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). A considerable contribution of the anaplerotic pathway is observed in cocultures, as concluded from the ratio (C-2-C-3)/C-4 of labeled glutamine. Analysis of the multiplet pattern of glutamate isotopomers indicates carbon scrambling through the TCA cycle and the use of alanine also as energy substrate in neurons. In cocultures, astrocyte-deduced lactate and unlabeled exogenous carbon substrates contribute to glutamate synthesis and dilute the [2-(13)C]acetyl-CoA pool by 30%. The coupling of neuronal activity with shuttling of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle-derived metabolites between astrocytes and neurons is concluded from the use of [4-(13)C]-monolabeled glutamate leaving the first TCA cycle turn already for glutamine and GABA synthesis, as well as from the labeling pattern of extracellular glutamine. Further evidence of a metabolic interaction between astrocytes and neurons is obtained, as alanine serves as a carbon and nitrogen carrier through the synthesis and regulated release of lactate from astrocytes for use by neurons. Complementary to the glutamine-glutamate cycle in the brain, a lactate-alanine shuttle between astrocytes and neurons would account for the nitrogen exchange of the glutamatergic neurotransmitter cycle in mammalian brain.

Lipid oxidation in blood plasma of patients with neurological disorders

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of blood plasma lipids from lyophilized plasma samples from patients with neurological disorders stored for several weeks in an evacuated exsiccator show characteristic differences compared to freshly lyophilized plasma samples. The main differences concern the unsaturated fatty acids, e.g., the extent of unsaturation and their structural composition. The total amount of double bond signals of unsaturated fatty acids are noticeably reduced in intensity and new signals arise from conjugated double bonds. These signals can be assigned to keto-octadecadienoic acid (KODE) or hydroxy-octadecadienoic acid (HODE). The proton and carbon NMR chemical shifts and their structural assignment to the main molecular components are given. Whereas the KODE and HODE signals occur only as storage artifacts in the spectra, we have found small amounts of 9,11-octadecadienoic acid also in fresh blood plasma of controls. Its concentration is about 60 microM. In two-dimensional H,H total correlation spectroscopy spectra also a very low amount (6-7 microM) of 13-HODE can be detected.

A new method for fast proton spectroscopic imaging: spectroscopic GRASE

A new fast spectroscopic imaging method is presented which allows both a very short minimum total measurement time and effective homonuclear decoupling. After each excitation, all data points from N(GE) k(x)-k(y)-slices at different k(omega)-values are acquired by using a gradient and spin echo (GRASE) imaging sequence. The delay between consecutive gradient echoes, which are measured with uniform phase encoding between consecutive refocusing alpha-pulses, is the inverse of the spectral width (SW). A refocusing 180 degrees pulse, which is applied within a constant delay between excitation and the GRASE sequence, is shifted in a series of measurements by an increment N(GE)/(2 * SW) to cover the whole k(omega)-k(x)-k(y)-space. Spectroscopic GRASE was implemented on a 4.7 T imaging system and tested on phantoms and normal rat brain in vivo. Measurements were performed with a nominal voxel size of 1.5 x 1.5 x 3 mm(3) and a spatial 64 x 64 matrix. The total measurement time was 2 or 4 min using a repetition time of 1.9 sec, 96 chemical shift encoding steps, SW = 800 Hz, N(GE) = 3, and 2 or 4 accumulations.

Effects of ammonia exposition on glioma cells: changes in cell volume and organic osmolytes studied by diffusion-weighted and high-resolution NMR spectroscopy

NH(4)Cl (10 mM) caused a sustained increase in the cell volume in immobilized, perfused F98 glioma cells to approx. 125% of control after 3 h, as measured by diffusion-weighted (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Concomitantly, the glutamine (Gln) concentration increased by 130%, accompanied by a marked decrease in cytosolic osmolytes, i.e. myo-inositol and taurine, determined from (1)H NMR spectra of PCA extracts. Inhibition of Gln synthetase partially prevented the increase in water content. While losses of organic osmolytes are also observed under hypotonic conditions, the rapid cell swelling is followed by the regulatory cell volume decrease (RVD), and is accompanied by decreased cytosolic Gln. We suggest that the rise in intracellular osmolarity, which is attributed to NH(4)Cl metabolism to Gln, but also to alanine (Ala), is not compensated by the release of other osmolytes, and causes cell swelling without RVD.

Multinuclear NMR spectroscopy studies on NH4Cl-induced metabolic alterations and detoxification processes in primary astrocytes and glioma cells

Glutamine synthesis, the major pathway of ammonia detoxification, and the intracellular concentration of organic osmolytes in primary astrocytes and F98 glioma cells were investigated with multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Acute exposure to ammonia (3 h incubation with NH4Cl) raised the concentration of glutamine and other amino acids, such as glutamate and aspartate, and decreased myo-inositol, hypotaurine, and taurine concentrations. The loss of these osmolytes was partially reversed by co-treatment with the glutamine synthetase inhibitor, methionine sulphoximine. Glutamate, the precursor of glutamine, is provided by stimulated anaplerotic flux via pyruvate carboxylase and glutamate dehydrogenase activity. Thus, the glutamine increase and myo-inositol decrease observed by in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy on patients with hepatic encephalopathy may be due to the disturbed osmoregulation in astrocytes caused by accumulation of glutamine and the subsequent loss of organic osmolytes.

Fast echo planar based correlation-peak imaging: demonstration on the rat brain in vivo

Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COSY) was combined with a fast echo planar based spectroscopic imaging technique in a new sequence. It can be optimized according to the coupling patterns of particular metabolites by using a constant time (CT) variant of COSY with chemical shift selective excitation and refocusing. Experiments were performed with an evolution time of 110 ms which was determined by simulating the CT-COSY experiment at several evolution times for the spin systems of myo-inositol (Ins) and taurine (Tau). The sequence has a minimum total measurement time of 17 min and was tested on a spherical phantom filled with a solution of Ins. The in vivo application of this method on the healthy rat brain demonstrates its improved spectral resolution as cross-peak signals from both Ins and Tau can be separated clearly. Magn Reson Med 44:23-28, 2000.

A fast variant of (1)H spectroscopic U-FLARE imaging using adjusted chemical shift phase encoding

So far, fast spectroscopic imaging (SI) using the U-FLARE sequence has provided metabolic maps indirectly via Fourier transformation (FT) along the chemical shift (CS) dimension and subsequent peak integration. However, a large number of CS encoding steps N(omega) is needed to cover the spectral bandwidth and to achieve sufficient spectral resolution for peak integration even if the number of resonance lines is small compared to N(omega) and even if only metabolic images are of interest and not the spectra in each voxel. Other reconstruction algorithms require extensive prior knowledge, starting values, and/or model functions. An adjusted CS phase encoding scheme (APE) can be used to overcome these drawbacks. It incorporates prior knowledge only about the resonance frequencies present in the sample. Thus, N(omega) can be reduced by a factor of 4 for many (1)H in vivo studies while no spectra have to be reconstructed, and no additional user interaction, prior knowledge, starting values, or model function are required. Phantom measurements and in vivo experiments on rat brain have been performed at 4.7 T to test the feasibility of the method for proton SI.

Oxidative stress-induced metabolic alterations in rat brain astrocytes studied by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy

Oxidative stress in cultured astrocytes exerted by 30-min treatment with 50-200 microM H(2)O(2) caused time- and concentration-dependent effects on cellular metabolism. These changes were accompanied by alterations in cellular morphology. Using (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the data demonstrate that the energy status of the cells was greatly affected directly after the stress, as indicated by the loss of high energy phosphates, i.e., phosphocreatine (PCr) and nucleoside triphosphates (NTP). Oxidative stress also involves a dysregulation of the osmotic control in astrocytes, which is accompanied by a dramatic loss of myo-inositol, taurine, and hypotaurine, as monitored by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. While the energy state of the cells was essentially restored during a 7-hr recovery period, the changes in osmolyte concentrations lasted longer and went on throughout the recovery period. Even after 24-hr recovery, organic osmolyte concentrations were still below the control levels. (13)C NMR spectra of astrocyte cell extracts also demonstrated an enhanced glucose metabolism via the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and a reduced glycolysis. Additionally, the appearance of (13)C glutamate points to a distortion of glutamine synthetase (GS), leading to the accumulation of glutamate. Glycolysis as well as GS activity were back to control levels after 7 hr recovery. Thus, in contrast to the energy metabolism, osmoregulatory processes and complex glucose metabolism was impaired not only directly after oxidative stress, but occurred with a later onset during a 2-hr recovery period, and cells only slowly recovered during the next 24 hr.

Functional MRI of the human motor cortex using single-shot, multiple gradient-echo spiral imaging

In this study, we combined the advantages of a fast multi-slice spiral imaging approach with a multiple gradient-echo sampling scheme at high magnetic field strength to improve quantification of BOLD and inflow effects and to estimate T2* relaxation times in functional brain imaging. Eight echoes are collected with echo time (TE) ranging from 5 to 180 ms. Acquisition time per slice and echo time is 25 ms for a nominal resolution of 4 x 4 x 4 mm3. Evaluation of parameter images during rest and stimulation yields no significant activation on the inflow sensitive spin-density images (rho or I0-maps) whereas clear activation patterns in primary human motor cortex (M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA) are detected on BOLD sensitive T2*-maps. The calculation of relaxation times and rates of the activated areas over all subjects yields an average T2* +/- standard deviation (SD) of 46.1+/-4.5 ms (R2* of 21.8+/-2.2 s(-1)) and an average increase (deltaT2* +/- SD) of 0.93+/-0.47 ms (deltaR2* of -0.4+/-0.14 s(-1)). Our findings demonstrate the usefulness of a multiple gradient echo data acquisition approach in separating various vascular contributions to brain activation in fMRI.

Fast spectroscopic imaging for non-invasive thermometry using the Pr[MOE-DO3A] complex

The praseodymium complex of 10-(2-methoxyethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraaza-cyclododecane-1,4,7-tr iacetate) was evaluated as a temperature-sensitive contrast agent using the temperature dependence (approximately 0.12 ppm degrees C(-1)) of the chemical shift of its methoxy side group signal. Pr[MOE-DO3A] was employed in combination with spectroscopic imaging (SI) methods for the determination of spatially resolved 2D and 3D temperature distributions in phantoms. Conventional SI and fast echo planar SI sequences (EPSI) were implemented on a 4.7 T MR imaging system fulfilling the demands for non-invasive thermometry (NIT) with respect to thermal and temporal resolution, being <1 degree C and <20 s total measuring time, respectively. The sequences are based on a fast spin echo SI method taking into account the very short relaxation times of the Pr complex methoxy group (T1 = 28 ms, T2 = 13 ms) and its chemical shift difference (-24 ppm) from water. Calibration curves were measured in a uniformly heated water phantom and 2D SI methods were applied to dynamic heating experiments. The average differences between the temperatures measured via fibreoptic thermometer and those derived from the spectroscopic methods were < or =0.2 degrees C. Furthermore, 3D EPSI experiments with a 16 x 16 x 16 matrix size yielded temperature measurements within 17 s from voxels of size 3 x 3 x 3 mm3.

Homonuclear uncoupled 1H-spectroscopy of the human brain using weighted accumulation schemes

Homonuclear uncoupled H-spectroscopy based on 2-dimensional (2D) J-resolved spectroscopy is a well suited technique for the assessment of J-coupled metabolite resonances. In comparison with 1-dimensional H-spectroscopy this technique largely reduces problems due to spectral overlap between low molecular weight metabolite resonances and superimposed broad macromolecule resonances, as well as overlap between adjacent multiplets. Usually, 2D J-resolved spectroscopic data were acquired using a constant number of accumulations for each of the various echo times. In contrast to this, a weighted accumulation scheme has been applied in this study, using an echo time dependent number of accumulations. The aims of this modification were to reduce the acquisition time and to improve the signal-to-noise ratio per unit acquisition time (SNRt). Four different sine-bell like accumulation schemes and a reference scheme using a constant number of accumulations have been applied on five normal volunteers. Localized spectra obtained from the parieto-occipital white matter were compared with regard to SNRt and linewidth. A reduction in acquisition time of 45%, related to the reference scheme, and an increase in SNRt of 25-30% were achieved using a sine-bell accumulation scheme in combination with a quarter sine-wave apodization of the short echo time data. Down to an acquisition time of 122 s no significant line broadening has been observed in comparison with the reference scheme.

Rapid uptake and degradation of glycine by astroglial cells in culture: synthesis and release of serine and lactate

Free glycine is known to have vital functions in the mammalian brain, where it serves mainly as both neurotransmitter and neuromodulator. Despite its importance, little is known about the metabolic pathways of glycine synthesis and degradation in the central nervous system. In this study, the pathway of glycine metabolism in astroglia-rich primary cultures from rat brain was examined. The cells were allowed to degrade glycine in the presence of [U-(14)C]glycine, [U-(13)C]glycine or [(15)N]glycine. The resulting intra- and extracellular metabolites were analyzed both by high-performance liquid chromatography and by (13)C/(15)N nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Glycine was rapidly consumed in a process obeying first-order kinetics. The initial glycine consumption rate was 0.47 nmol per mg protein. The half-life of glycine radiolabel in the incubation medium was shorter than that of glycine mass. This suggests that glycine is produced from endogenous sources and released simultaneously with glycine uptake and metabolism. As the main metabolites of the glycine carbon skeleton in astroglia-rich primary cultures from rat brain, serine and lactate were released during glycine consumption. The main metabolite containing the glycine amino nitrogen was glutamine. To establish a metabolic pathway from glycine to serine in neural tissue, homogenates of rat brain and of neural primary cultures were assayed for their content of serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) and glycine cleavage system (GCS). SHMT activity was present in homogenates of rat brain as well as of astroglia-rich and neuron-rich primary cultures, whereas GCS activity was detectable only in homogenates of rat brain and astroglia-rich primary culture. Of the two known SHMT isoenzymes, only the mitochondrial form was found in rat brain homogenate. It is proposed that, in neural tissue, glycine is metabolized by the combined action of SHMT and the GCS. Owing to the absence of the GCS from neurons, astrocytes appear to be the only site of this part of glycine metabolism in brain. However, neurons are able to utilize as energy source the lactate formed by astroglial cells in this metabolic pathway.

Changes of intracellular calcium, fatty acids and phospholipids during miltefosine-induced apoptosis monitored by fluorescence- and 13C NMR-spectroscopy

The alkylphosphocholine Miltefosine (hexadecylphosphocholine, HePC) induces apoptosis in human epithelial KB cells, whereas no such effect can be observed in a resistant clone (KBres). Its mode of action is mediated via the cell membrane, whereas the mechanism is still widely unknown. The use of various spectroscopic methods (fluorescence spectroscopy with Fura-2/AM on viable cells, 13C NMR spectroscopy on lipid extracts) reveals osmotic and metabolic changes in HePC treated sensitive cells. Intracellular free Ca(2+)-concentration increased over 300% of control in apoptotic cells, whereas KBres cells showed only a minor increase and no morphological response typical for apoptosis. The Ca(2+)-influx was mediated via calcium channels in the cell membrane. The HePC-induced influx is prevented by Gd3+, which blocks those calcium channels. Cells, grown in Ca(2+)-free medium, showed no apoptotic behaviour after treatment with HePC. If apoptosis was induced, an increased fatty acid and subsequent phospholipid biosynthesis was observed. This effect seems to be a specific marker of apoptosis in KB cells.

Combining CW and pulsed saturation allows in vivo quantitation of magnetization transfer observed for total creatine by (1)H-NMR-spectroscopy of rat brain

Selective saturation of bound nuclei attenuates the MR visible CH(2) and the CH(3) signal of total creatine (tCr) in rat brain in vivo. The low contrast to noise ratio achieved during the limited experiment time makes it difficult to quantify the effect. It is shown that by combining data from continuous-wave and pulsed saturation experiments, quantitation is possible using the standard magnetization transfer model. The model parameters obtained are the transverse relaxation time of the bound spin fraction B, T2R = 31 +/- 8 micros, the exchange rate r(x) = 0.36 +/- 0.04 s(-1), and the concentration ratio of bound nuclei taking part in the exchange to free tCr magnetization, f = M0B/M0A = 0.04 +/- 0.01. The phenomenon can be explained by either an intermolecular exchange of free and bound creatine molecules or by through-space interaction with bound nuclei showing not necessarily the same chemical shift. Magn Reson Med 42:222-227, 1999.

Evaluation of individual and combined neurotoxicity of the immunosuppressants cyclosporine and sirolimus by in vitro multinuclear NMR spectroscopy

Neurotoxicity, a crucial side effect of immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporine, also has been demonstrated in vitro for sirolimus, a novel macrolide immunosuppressant, which is under clinical investigation in combination with cyclosporine. NMR spectroscopy was used to study the separate and combined effects of cyclosporine and sirolimus on cerebral metabolism, both in brain cells and in perfused rat brain slices. The high-energy phosphate metabolism was already affected significantly at cyclosporine concentrations as low as 100 micrograms/liter: phosphocreatine was reduced by 10 +/- 2% [half-maximal inhibition concentration (IC50) = 1850 +/- 600 micrograms/liter], and nucleoside triphosphate was reduced by 11 +/- 5% (IC50 = 1110 +/- 420 micrograms/liter; n = 4, P <.05). At 500 micrograms/liter cyclosporine, N-acetylaspartate and glutamate were decreased by 13 +/- 7% (IC50 = 1100 +/- 330 micrograms/liter) and 22 +/- 9% (IC50 = 360 +/- 220 micrograms/liter; n = 4, P <.05), respectively. As evaluated using an algorithm based on Loewe isobolograms, combination of cyclosporine and sirolimus resulted in a synergetic reduction of high-energy phosphate metabolites. Addition of sirolimus to the perfusion medium increased brain slice concentrations of cyclosporine. It is concluded that cyclosporine significantly reduced high-energy phosphate metabolism in brain tissue at in vivo relevant concentrations. Combination with sirolimus resulted in synergism, which, in part, is explained by a greater distribution of cyclosporine into the brain tissue in the presence of sirolimus.

Improved proton spectroscopic U-FLARE imaging for the detection of coupled resonances in the rat brain in vivo

Modifications of the pulse sequence for spectroscopic U-FLARE imaging are discussed to detect not only the predominant singlet signals of N-acetylaspartate, total creatine, and choline containing compounds or the doublet signal of lactate, but also the coupled resonances of glutamate, glutamine, taurine and myo-inositol. Effective homonuclear decoupling is achieved by use of constant time chemical shift encoding. A maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be obtained for a certain coupled resonance of interest by optimizing the evolution period t(c) of the J modulated spin echo. Good reproducibility and a high SNR were achieved by combining several methods for water suppression and by using the displaced variant of U-FLARE. Measurements of a 3 mm slice of the rat brain were performed in vivo within 4 min, giving a nominal voxel size of 1.5 x 1.5 x 3.0 mm3 or 1.5 x 0.75 x 3.0 mm3. Thus, optimized spectroscopic U-FLARE is a powerful tool for proton spectroscopic imaging with high spectral, spatial and temporal resolution.

Detection of homonuclear decoupled in vivo proton NMR spectra using constant time chemical shift encoding: CT-PRESS

A new pulse sequence, termed CT-PRESS, is presented, which allows the detection of in vivo 1H NMR spectra with effective homonuclear decoupling. A PRESS sequence with a short echo-time TE, used for spatial localization, is supplemented by an additional 180 degrees pulse. The temporal position of this 180 degree pulse is shifted within a series of experiments, while the time interval between signal excitation and detection is kept constant. CT-PRESS is a two-dimensional (2D) spectroscopic experiment as far as data acquisition and processing are concerned, although only diagonal signals are generated in the 2D spectrum. However, since the principle of constant time chemical shift encoding is used in the t1 domain, effective homonuclear decoupling is obtained by projecting the 2D spectrum onto the corresponding f1 axis. Thus, good spectral resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio are obtained. The main advantage, as compared to localized 2D J-resolved MRS, is that optimized experiments can be performed for coupled resonances of interest by choosing the sequence parameters dependent on the type of multiplets, the J-coupling constants and T2. Major fields of application will be parametric studies on coupled resonances, (e.g., T1, diffusion behavior or magnetization transfer) and/or the detection of spatial and temporal changes of metabolites with coupled spin systes.

Alterations in glial cell metabolism during recovery from chronic osmotic stress

NMR spectroscopy of F98 glioma cell extracts showed that chronic hypertonic conditions largely increased the intracellular content of small, osmotically active molecules. Moreover, hypertonic stress decreased the incorporation of 13C-labeled amino acids into the cellular proteins albeit their cytosolic concentrations were increased, which reflects an inhibition of protein synthesis under these conditions. Reincubation with isotonic medium restored almost completely the control values for the cytosolic metabolites but not for amino acid incorporation into the protein. An increased amount of 13C label was found in the phospholipids, which indicates stimulation of membrane synthesis processes due to the recovery-induced cell swelling. On the other hand, chronic hypotonic conditions largely decreased the steady state concentration and synthesis of small, cytosolic molecules, whereas the effect on the incorporation of 13C-labeled amino acids into the cellular proteins was variable. Reincubation with isotonic medium partially restored the depressed cytosolic metabolite content and also the incorporation of labeled amino acids into cellular protein, but induced an inhibition of phospholipid synthesis. The results verify that 'readaptation' of glial cell metabolism during recovery from chronic osmotic stress is impaired or at least seriously retarded.

Expression of aquaporins in Xenopus laevis oocytes and glial cells as detected by diffusion-weighted 1H NMR spectroscopy and photometric swelling assay

Expression of aquaporins (AQP) and water permeability were studied in Xenopus laevis oocytes and immobilized glial cells by a pulsed-field gradient spin echo NMR technique and a photometric swelling assay. Oocytes injected with poly(A) RNA from C6-BU-1 cells showed increased swelling behavior under hypoosmotic stress due to expressed water channels as compared to control oocytes. The swelling could be reversibly inhibited by HgCl2. Furthermore, the intracellular relaxation time and the apparent intracellular diffusion coefficient of water in oocytes were determined by diffusion-weighted 1H NMR experiments to be T2=36 ms and Dapp, intra=0.18x10-3 mm2/s. In immobilized C6 and F98 cells the mean exchange time of intracellular water was found to be 51 ms which increased to 75 ms upon chronic treatment (4 days) in hypertonic medium. Additional hybrid depletion experiments with antisense oligonucleotides directed against AQP1 were performed on oocytes and C6 cells. Moreover, different water channel subtypes of glial cells were assessed by a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay. With this, the mRNA encoding AQP1 could be detected in primary cultures and glial cell lines, whereas AQP4 mRNA was found in astroglia-rich primary cultures, but not in F98 and C6 cells. Our results show that water permeability in glial cells is mainly mediated by water channels which play an important role in the regulation of water flow in brain under normal and pathological conditions.

Water signal attenuation in diffusion-weighted 1H NMR experiments during cerebral ischemia: influence of intracellular restrictions, extracellular tortuosity, and exchange

The "concept of restricted intracellular water diffusion at permeable boundaries", which was recently used to model diffusion-weighted 1H NMR experiments on glioma cells, was applied to measurements on the rat brain in vivo. Combined with the "concept of extracellular tortuosity", various physiological states of the brain were simulated. Hereby, a variable intracellular volume fraction, intracellular exchange time, and extracellular tortuosity factor were considered for young, adult, and ischemic rat brains. The model simulated the cytotoxic shift of extracellular water, changes in membrane permeability and tissue morphology, and was able to explain the diffusion time dependence as well as the non-monoexponentiality of the diffusion attenuation curves. Preliminary diffusion time dependent experiments on the healthy rat brain (1H NMR imaging) agreed well with the theoretical concept. Hereby, the intracellular water signal was separated from extracellular signal contributions by large diffusion weighting. It showed the characteristic of restricted diffusion as well as a signal decay due to the exchange of intracellular water across the plasma membrane. A map of the mean intracellular exchange time for water in living animal brain was determined, and the upper limit in rat brain was evaluated to 15 ms. The presented methods can be applied to correlate local differences in a map of exchange times with tissue morphology and to detect pathological deviations of the exchange time, e.g., during ischemia.

Rat brain primary neurons immobilized in basement membrane gel threads: an improved method for on-line 13C NMR spectroscopy of live cells

In vivo MRS studies on intact brain reflect the metabolism of all cells present, but do not distinguish between different cell types. NMR studies of immobilized cultured primary cells, such as neurons and astrocytes, are a useful model to monitor the specific differences in metabolism of the various cell types in the brain. The present study shows that primary rat neuronal cells can be cultured in basement membrane gel threads. After 4 days of incubation the threads are filled with viable cells, and represent a population of morphologically differentiated neuronal cells with less than 5% of non-neuronal cells, i.e., astrocytes. These threads were placed into a NMR tube and used for on-line monitoring of neuronal metabolism. Under these conditions cells remained viable and metabolically active for several days. The energy status was monitored by using 31P NMR spectroscopy. To study neuronal glucose metabolism [1-13C]glucose was added to the perfusion medium and 30 min later 13C-labeled metabolites were detectable by 13C NMR spectroscopy. Immobilized neurons synthesized glycolytic products such as [3-13C]lactate and [3-13C]alanine, as well as several tricarboxylic acid cycle products, i.e., [2-13C]glutamate, [3-13C]glutamate, [4-13C]glutamate, [2-13C]aspartate, and [3-13C]aspartate. In summary, 31P and 13C NMR spectra can be recorded from live neuronal cells for up to 24 h using the newly designed procedure described in the present communication.

Absolute metabolite quantification by in vivo NMR spectroscopy: I. Introduction, objectives and activities of a concerted action in biomedical research

By utilizing achievements and results of two previous concerted research projects on magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRS), the EU BIOMED 1 Concerted Action on "Cancer and brain disease characterization and therapy assessment by quantitative MRS" was specifically aimed at: 1) developing at a multicentre level harmonized methodologies and protocols for quantitative and reproducible MRS measurements, as a basis for validating these procedures in well controlled clinical and experimental conditions; and 2) providing multicentre critical reviews on the present understanding of the significance of MRS parameters as possible new markers of diagnosis, prognosis and response to therapy. The programme comprised the following main areas of collaborative research and multicentre evaluation: a) development of methods and protocols for quality assessment, calibration and absolute metabolite quantification in in vivo localized, volume-selective MRS; b) design and validation of a new method for assessing localization performance in spectroscopic imaging (MRSI); c) interlaboratory comparison of different methods of signal processing and data analysis, for improving signal quantification in vivo and in vitro MRS spectra; d) quality assessment of high resolution MRS analyses of biological fluids; e) protocol for assembling a pilot data base of MR spectra of tumour extracts for pattern recognition analysis; f) multicentre review on evaluation of the significance of MRS parameters in monitoring lipid metabolism and function in cancer; and g) multicentre review on evaluation of drug pharmacokinetics and metabolism using MRS. The main results and conclusions of four multi-centre trials on items (a), (b) and (c), which involved 24 teams, are reported in the accompanying papers of this series.

Direct administration and utilization of [1-13C]glucose by fetal brain and liver tissues under normal and ischemic conditions: 1H, 31P, and 13C NMR studies

Three distinct, maternal-independent routes (e.g. intraamniotic, intraperitoneal and intracerebral), for [1-13C]glucose utilization by fetal brain and liver tissues, were examined by multinuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy before and after vascular occlusion of the maternal-fetal blood flow. Labeled lactate was the major glycolytic product by all routes, but in addition labeled TCA cycle products were also generated. Fractional 13C enrichment in both glucose and lactate were always higher in the ischemic state compared to controls using either one of the three routes studied. After intraperitoneal injection total glucose in the fetal brain was decreased by 85% after 20 min reperfusion following 20 min ischemia, but was elevated up to 170% after 60 min. [1-13C]glucose increased continuously by up to 370% after 60 min. Total glucose in the fetal liver remained unchanged while [1-13C]glucose increased up to 380%. Total lactate level in brain was 50-80% above the control apart from a transient increase (140%) notable after 40 min reperfusion. The kinetics of [3-13C]lactate followed a similar time course. At the same time when lactate was transiently increased in fetal brain, total lactate as well as 13C-labeled lactate showed a transient decrease in liver after 40 min. While the ways of mobilization of energy substrates for maintaining adequate metabolic activity in the fetal brain remain still unclear, the present 13C NMR studies suggest that both liver glucose and lactate can contribute to brain metabolism particularly under ischemic stress.

Fast 1H spectroscopic imaging using a multi-element head-coil array

Fast proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) using a multi-element head-coil array is examined with respect to three aspects: the coil design, the use of an appropriate signal combination method, and the design of the MRSI pulse sequence itself. An eight-element head-coil array has been developed to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of MRSI in the human brain. The flexible wraparound design optimally fits different head sizes and thus provides high sensitivity. The signal combination of the individual coil elements is based on the approach proposed by Roemer et al. (Magn. Reson. Med. 16, 192 (1990)). An additional short prescan is performed to provide a good estimate of the complex coil sensitivity profiles, which are used in the signal combination procedure to correct the spectroscopic imaging data for the spatially varying intensity. The use of coil arrays in MRSI has some effect on the requirements for both water and lipid suppression. These techniques and a MRSI pulse sequence that provides a high spectroscopic resolution are described and discussed. Experimental results at 1.5 T show that metabolite maps of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), phosphocreatine (PCr)/creatine (Cr) can be obtained within a 5-min acquisition time.

Metabolism of cysteine in astroglial cells: synthesis of hypotaurine and taurine

The synthesis of hypotaurine and taurine was investigated in astroglia-rich primary cultures obtained from brains of neonatal Wistar rats using 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Cell extracts of astroglial cultures analyzed by 1H NMR spectroscopy show prominent signals of hypotaurine. To identify cysteine as precursor for hypotaurine and taurine synthesis in astroglial cells, primary cultures were incubated with [3-(13)C]cysteine for 24 or 72 h. Cell extracts and incubation media were then analyzed with 13C NMR spectroscopy. Labeled hypotaurine, taurine, glutathione, and lactate were identified in the cell extracts. Within 72 h, 35.0% of the total intracellular hypotaurine and 22.5% of taurine were newly synthesized from [3-(13)C] cysteine. The presence of [1-(13)C]hypotaurine and [1-(13)C]taurine in the incubation medium proves the release of those products of cysteine metabolism into the medium. Minor amounts of the [3-(13)C]cysteine were used for the synthesis of glutathione in astroglial cells or metabolized to [3-(13)C]lactate, which was found in cell extracts and media. These results indicate that the formation of hypotaurine and taurine is a major pathway of cysteine metabolism in astroglial cells.

Characterization of dimethylguanosine, phenylethylamine, and phenylacetic acid as inhibitors of Ca2+ ATPase in end-stage renal failure

The activity of the plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase of chronic renal failure patients is decreased by circulating inhibitors yet to be characterized. In this study, inhibitors of Ca2+ ATPase were isolated from ultrafiltrate of patients with end-stage renal failure. They were identified as dimethylguanosine, phenylethylamine, and phenylacetic acid by chromatography and mass spectrometry. Ca2+ ATPase activity was measured spectrophotometrically as the difference in hydrolysis of ATP in the presence and absence of Ca2+ with different concentrations of ATP and the isolated substances. All of the identified compounds are sufficiently lipophilic to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and to accumulate in cerebral tissue. The inhibitory effects of these agents were additive. The apparent K(m) values for ATP and Ca2+ were not altered by these substances, suggesting a noncompetitive mechanism of inhibition. In plasma of healthy subjects, the substances were not detectable. The Ca2+ ATPase inhibitors identified may play a role in the pathophysiology of end-stage renal failure and, potentially, in monitoring toxic effects on cellular Ca2+ metabolism in renal failure.

Temporal and regional changes during focal ischemia in rat brain studied by proton spectroscopic imaging and quantitative diffusion NMR imaging

The early development of focal ischemia after permanent occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) was studied in six rats using interleaved measurements by diffusion-weighted NMR imaging (DWI) of water and two variants of proton spectroscopic imaging (SI), multiecho SI (TE: 136, 272, 408 ms) and short TE SI (TE: 20 ms). Measurements on a 4.7-T NMR imaging system were performed between the control phase and approximately 6 h postocclusion. In the center of the ischemic lesion of all rats, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) decreased rapidly to 84.4 +/- 4.2% (mean +/- SD) of the control values approximately 2 min postocclusion. Approximately 6 h postocclusion, the ADC was reduced to 67.1 +/- 5.9%. In contrast, large differences between the animals were observed for the temporal increase of lactate (Lac) in the ipsilateral hemisphere. The maximum Lac signal was reached in four rats after 0.5-1.5 h, and in two rats was not reached even after 6 h postocclusion. Six h postocclusion, SI spectra measured at a TE of 136 ms revealed a decrease in the CH3 signal of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) to 67 +/- 13% of the control values. Differences were observed between the spatial regions of decreased NAA and increased Lac. In the lesions, a T2 relaxation time of Lac of 292 +/- 40 ms, considering a J-coupling constant of 6.9 Hz, was measured. Furthermore, a prolongation of the T2 of the CH3 signal of creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr/PCr) was observed in the lesion, from 163 +/- 22 ms during control to 211 +/- 41 ms approximately 6 h postocclusion. The experiments proved that DWI and proton SI are valuable tools to provide complementary information on processes associated with brain infarcts.

Magnetization transfer attenuates metabolite signals in tumorous and contralateral animal brain: in vivo observations by proton NMR spectroscopy

Tumorous and contralateral rat brain was examined by in vivo single voxel proton NMR spectroscopy. Magnetization transfer (MT) experiments cause attenuation of various metabolite signals. Selective saturation of immobile metabolites was achieved by pulsed RF preirradiation. The method is compared with continuous wave MT generation. In contralateral tissue, MT attenuation is detected for both the CH3 and the CH2 protons of (phospho-)creatine (Cr + PCr) and for a signal at 3.44 ppm ascribed to taurine. Significant attenuation is also observed for a signal at 3.78 ppm that is commonly ascribed to the alphaCH proton of glutamate and glutamine (Glx); however, no effect is observed for the gammaCH2 protons of Glx. Within implanted F98 glioma tumors, only the CH3 signal of Cr + PCr shows significant MT attenuation. Although the MT effect detected for lactate in the tumors fails to reach significance, a significant effect is observed for the lactate signal acquired during 3 to 9 min postmortem.