1H‐localized broadband 13C NMR spectroscopy of the rat brain in vivo at 9.4 T

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Abstract
Localized 13C NMR spectra were obtained from the rat brain in vivo over a broad spectral range (15–100 ppm) with minimal chemical‐shift displacement error (1H localization. A new gradient dephasing scheme was employed to eliminate unwanted coherences generated by DEPT when using surface coils with highly inhomogeneous B1 fields. Excellent sensitivity was evident from the simultaneous detection of natural abundance signals for N‐acetylaspartate, myo‐inositol, and glutamate in the rat brain in vivo at 9.4 T. After infusion of 13C‐labeled glucose, up to 18 13C resonances were simultaneously measured in the rat brain, including glutamate C2, C3, C4, glutamine C2, C3, C4, aspartate C2, C3, glucose C1, C6, N‐acetyl‐aspartate C2, C3, C6, as well as GABA C2, lactate C3, and alanine C3. 13C‐13C multiplets corresponding to multiply labeled compounds were clearly observed, suggesting that extensive isotopomer analysis is possible in vivo. This unprecedented amount of information will be useful for metabolic modeling studies aimed at understanding brain energy metabolism and neurotransmission in the rodent brain. Magn Reson Med 50:684–692, 2003.
Funding Information
  • NIH (R01NS38672)
  • Whitaker Foundation
  • W.M. Keck Foundation
  • Biotechnology Research Resource program of the National Center for Research Resources (P41RR08079)
  • French Foreign Affairs Ministry