Topical Magnetic Resonance Research Articles

Evaluation of epiphora by topical contrast-enhanced CT and MR dacryocystography: which one to choose?

Our study aims to compare non-invasive imaging such as topical computed tomography dacryocystography (CTD) and topical magnetic resonance dacryocystography (MRD) in patients with epiphora. To evaluate the practicability of topical contrast media during helical CTD and topical saline during MRD to reveal obstruction in the nasolacrimal drainage system (NLDS). Twenty participants with nasolacrimal duct obstruction were observed for two years. Ten participants underwent CTD and the other 10 participants underwent MRD. Images were analyzed by two radiologists. Participants were also asked about the level of discomfort of the contrast material versus the saline solution. The NLDS was seen on both CTD and MRD. Very good agreement between the two observers (κ value > 0.81) was seen according to the κ statistics. CTD multiplanar and 3D images allowed for precise diagnosis of the point of obstruction whereas, the MRD did not require any contrast material and showed the point of obstruction. Saline was more comfortable for the patients than topical contrast (P < 0.05). Topical CTD and MRD are non-invasive techniques that can visualize the degree and level of obstruction in the NLDS than conventional invasive cannulation dacryocystography. CTD is useful in visualizing the point of obstruction and smaller drainage structures. However, it is a source of ionizing radiation to the lens. The benefit of MRD is that it requires no contrast or radiation; however, it is poor in depicting the bone anatomy and smaller drainage structures. Finally, saline was better tolerated by patients than topical contrast.

Lacrimal sac volume measurement during eyelid closure and opening

Jones' theory of tear drainage suggests that the lacrimal sac fills when the eyelids are closed and empties when the eyelids are opened. This study was undertaken to see if there is any change in the volume of the lacrimal sac during eyelid closure and opening using images obtained from magnetic resonance dacryocystography using a topical magnetic resonance contrast agent. This is a prospective non-randomized comparative study in a tertiary hospital setting. Magnetic resonance dacryocystography scans were performed on five volunteers using 0.5% topical gadolinium-DTPA (MagneVist, Schering AG, Berlin, Germany) as a contrast agent. A T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scan with 2-mm contiguous coronal cuts was performed after localizing the lacrimal sac and instilling the contrast agent. The scans were performed with eyelids closed and opened. Volumes of 10 lacrimal sacs of five volunteers were calculated using pixel calibration and computer graphics. No statistical difference in size of the lacrimal sacs was demonstrable between when the eyes were opened and when they were shut. The present study could not demonstrate any volume change in the sac between eyelid closure and opening. Magnetic resonance imaging dacryocystography measures sac volume at two static end-points, so it cannot show any transient volume change that might occur during blinking. Various factors that may be affecting tear flow through the nasolacrimal system are discussed.

The 2003 Nobel Prize for MRI: significance and impact.

The 2003 Nobel Prize for MRI: significance and impact.

3 Muscle metabolism during fatigue and work

Metabolic fatigue is a characteristic muscle response to intense exercise that has outstripped the rate of ATP replacement. The accumulation of metabolic by-products, namely hydrogen ions and diprotonated phosphate, interferes with actin-myosin interaction, effectively preserving muscle ATP levels by preventing further ATP hydrolysis. Muscle force and metabolite concentrations return to normal in about 5 minutes. Less intense exercise causes a more subtle, non-metabolic fatigue due to a still-undefined disturbance of excitation-contraction coupling, which can last for several hours. In this type of fatigue, greater effort is required to generate submaximal forces. Endurance exercise is mainly limited by the size of muscle glycogen stores and how efficiently they are used. Endurance training permits an athlete to work aerobically at high rates, consuming a mixture of lipid and carbohydrate fuels. When muscle glycogen is used up, exercise can only continue at the relatively low rate supportable by lipid metabolism. Anaerobic exercise is also limited by subjective factors such as dyspnoea and muscle pain, which have objective determinants. Extremely prolonged exercise can lead to general collapse because of dehydration, hyperthermia, or hypoglycaemia. None of these factors explains the phenomenon of asthenia, a subjective sense of exhaustion that produces no objective impairment of physical performance. The metabolic myopathies are experiments of nature that promise to shed new light on the biochemical basis of muscle fatigue. This will require quantitative studies of the kind provided by topical magnetic resonance spectroscopy, correlating physiology and metabolism in vivo.

Stable Isotopically-Enriched D-Glucose: Strategies to Introduce Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotopes at Various Sites

INTRODUCTION For many years stable isotopes were confined to the chemical laboratory, where they were used primarily to study reaction rates,1 reaction mechanisms,2 and molecular conformation.3,4 Recently, stable isotopically-enriched molecules have been playing increasing roles in biochemical studies, particularly as probes of in vitro biological metabolism5,6 and of biomacromolecular structure.7,8 These modern applications have been stimulated, in large part, by dramatic technical developments in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy9 and mass spectrometry (MS).10 Very-high field multinuclear high-resolution NMR in one-, two- and three- dimensions,11,12 and various volume-selective forms of NMR derived from topical magnetic resonance (TMR) spectroscopy,13 have become important analytical methods in the study of biological phenomena. TMR and related techniques such as ISIS (Image Selected In-Vivo Spectroscopy)14 and Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy (SPARS)15 are particularly attractive, as they pe...

Adipose tissue abnormalities in cystic fibrosis: noninvasive determination of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids by carbon-13 topical magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Natural abundance in vivo carbon-13 topical magnetic resonance (TMR) spectroscopy was used to assess human adipose tissue stores of essential (polyunsaturated) fatty acids. TMR spectra were obtained from 17 normal volunteers and nine cystic fibrosis patients using an Oxford TMR-32 with a surface coil that sampled tissue less than 1 cm below the surface of an extremity. Spectra were taken of lower leg adipose tissue. Polyunsaturated fatty acid content was determined by comparing peak heights of the polyunsaturated peak (internal unsaturated carbons, 128 ppm) to C-1 carboxyl groups (173 ppm). Monounsaturated fatty acid content was determined by subtracting the polyunsaturated peak from the peak observed for all unsaturated carbons (external unsaturated carbon, 130 ppm) and dividing this ratio by the carboxyl peak. In vivo TMR of normal volunteers resulted in observed polyunsaturated fatty acid content of 17.8 +/- 2.1% and a monounsaturated content of 44.8 +/- 3.8%. The polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acid content of adipose tissue from the cystic fibrosis patients was 15.0 +/- 2.0% (p less than 0.005 versus normal volunteers) and 47.8 +/- 6.5% (NS), respectively. One cystic fibrosis patient without fat malabsorption had decreased adipose polyunsaturates, whereas another patient on high calorie gastrostomy feeds had normal levels. Carbon-13 TMR spectroscopy is a sensitive, noninvasive technique for determining essential fatty acid status in subcutaneous adipose tissue of patients with cystic fibrosis.

The study of human organs by phosphorus-31 topical magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The potential clinical use of topical magnetic resonance spectroscopy (volume selection by static magnetic field gradients) was tested in 50 studies in volunteers. Topical magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was shown to be a straightforward method for localising 31P spectra of brain and liver. However, the spherical shape and fixed position of the selected volume posed serious limitations to the study of heart and transplanted kidney by topical MRS. Phosphorus-31 spectra of approximately 30 cm-3 of brain or liver could be obtained in 8 min. Ratios of metabolite concentrations could be determined with a coefficient of variation ranging from 10% to 30%. The ratios of phosphocreatine/ATP and inorganic phosphate/ATP in brain were 1.8 and 0.3, respectively. The ratio of inorganic phosphate/ATP in liver was 0.9. Intracellular pH was 7.03 in brain and 7.24 in liver. The T1 relaxation times of phosphocreatine, inorganic phosphate and gamma-ATP in brain were 4.8 s, 2.5 s and 1.0 s, respectively.

Energy metabolism in rat pituitary tumors during stimulation of prolactin by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and thyrotropin-releasing hormone: a study with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The effect of the peptides TRH and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on phosphate-bound energy of GH3 tumor cells in vivo was investigated using the noninvasive technique of topical 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. VIP (4.0 micrograms/100 g BW) caused a reduction in the high energy metabolite phosphocreatine and an increase in inorganic phosphate. In the same experiments (n = 9), VIP stimulated PRL secretion to a value of 146% +/- 13 of basal concentrations. The change in the inorganic phosphate-phosphocreatinine ratio had a positive correlation with the increase in PRL secretion (P less than 0.001), indicating a VIP-induced energy consumption for a process related to PRL secretion. In separate experiments, in vitro, it was confirmed that VIP increased energy consumption by demonstrating an increase in glycogenolysis by the pituitary tumor cells. TRH also increased PRL secretion to 145% +/- 23 of basal values but, in contrast, did not induce changes in energy metabolites detectable by nuclear magnetic resonance. It is concluded that VIP and TRH promote PRL release through different stages in the secretion process.

Noninvasive lung water quantitation by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Three models of volume-dependent pulmonary edema were used in rabbits. Changes in lung water were measured by proton (1H) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) using a surface coil system, topical magnetic resonance. The anesthetized rabbits were ventilated with high frequency jet ventilation to minimize lung motion, and the surface coil was placed on the rabbit chest wall over the right lung. The rabbit preparation was placed in an Oxford Research Systems TMR-32 20-cm bore magnet. There was a close correlation (r greater than or equal to 0.90) between the gravimetrically determined lung wet to dry weight ratios and the percent change in the spectral areas as measured with 1H NMR, in all 3 experimental models.

Relation between the phosphocreatine to ATP ratio determined by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and left ventricular function in underperfused guinea-pig heart

The relation between the PC/ATP ratio and left ventricular function was examined in the Langendorff-perfused guinea-pig heart over a range of perfusion flow rates. PC/ATP ratios were determined from the 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of hearts obtained at 80.98 MHz and ventricular function estimated by measuring pressure in the left ventricle. When flow rates were increased over the range 0.6 to 6.0 ml/min, the PC/ATP ratio increased from 0.64 +/- 0.05 at 0.6 ml/min to 1.82 +/- 0.12 at 3.8 ml/min with no further increase up to a flow rate of 6.0 ml/min. Developed pressure (DP) increased with the flow rate up to 6.0 ml/min but the end diastolic pressure (EDP) also increased. The DP/EDP ratio was found to correlate closely with the PC/ATP ratio over the range of flow rates examined. The PC/ATP ratio may be a practical index of myocardial function available to the clinician when the topical magnetic resonance technique is fully developed.

In vivo studies of energy metabolism in experimental cerebral ischemia using topical magnetic resonance. Changes in 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra compared with electroencephalograms and regional cerebral blood flow.

The energy state of the brain during and after transient cerebral ischemia was examined in rats by in vivo measurement of 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra using a topical magnetic resonance spectrometer. EEGs and regional CBF (rCBF) were monitored on the same ischemic models. Immediately after the induction of ischemia, the height of the ATP and phosphocreatine peaks in the spectrum began to decrease with a concurrent increase of the inorganic phosphate (Pi) peak. The calculated pH from the chemical shift of Pi decreased during ischemia. The EEG pattern became flat immediately after ischemic induction. The rCBF decreased below the sensitivity level of the measuring instrument. With 30-min ischemia, the 31P-NMR spectrum returned to a normal pattern rapidly after recirculation. However, recovery of the EEG was delayed. The rCBF after recirculation showed postischemic hyperemia followed by hypoperfusion. In cases of 120-min ischemia, none of the spectra showed recovery. Thus, we could investigate the dynamic process of pathophysiological changes occurring in the ischemic brain in vivo.

Topical magnetic resonance for the study of muscle metabolism in human myopathy.

The role of changes in energy metabolism are obvious in the myopathies with described enzyme defects, but the ability afforded by topical magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study these changes repeatedly and non-invasively helps provide an understanding of the alterations in energy metabolism seen in muscle complaints of which the aetiologies are still unclear. Attention is focused on interpreting the findings with particular regard to Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Noninvasive tissue characterization of myocardium by topical 1H-and 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Because of its nondestructive nature, topical nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (TMR) was employed for the noninvasive evaluation of congenital cardiomyopathy (CM) in Syrian hamsters (BIO 14.6 strain). In a preliminary study, the size and pulse duration of the surface coil was determined to ensure that the detecting field covered the animal heart. The phosphate metabolite signals of the heart were distinguished from those of organs near the heart. At the cardiac apex, spectroscopically obtained constituent ratios of lipid/water by 1H-TMR and creatine phosphate/ATP by 31P-TMR were less in hamsters with CM than in the age-matched normal control animals, which was in accordance with biochemical analyses performed after killing the animals.

31P-NMR study of dog submandibular gland in vivo and in vitro using the topical magnetic resonance.

The topical magnetic resonance (TMR) was used to study the phosphorous metabolism of a dog's submandibular gland during acetylcholine stimulation. The experiments were carried out under two conditions. One was a normal blood supply (in vivo) and the other was vascular perfusion with the artificial perfusate (in vitro). The levels of phosphorous compounds in the gland were obtained for 31P-NMR spectra of the TMR. The saliva was secreted in the both conditions, though the salivary flow under the in vivo condition was higher than in vitro. During salivary secretion, only the levels of creatine phosphate decreased under in vivo condition, while the levels of creatine phosphate and ATP decreased and the levels of inorganic phosphate increased in in vitro cases. It was concluded that the decrement of creatine phosphate during the salivary secretion indicates the acceleration of the energy metabolism in the submandibular gland.

Measurements of in vivo energy metabolism in experimental cerebral ischaemia using 31P-NMR for the evaluation of protective effects of perfluorochemicals and glycerol.

Effects of perfluorochemical (PFC) and glycerol on energy metabolism in cerebral ischaemia were examined by the sequential measurements of in vivo 31P-NMR spectrum using topical magnetic resonance (TMR). Experimental cerebral ischaemia was induced in forty-five Wistar rats by a four-vessel occlusion method. The 31P-NMR spectrum and the EEG were monitored during preischaemic and ischaemic periods and after circulation was restored for various periods up to 240 min. There were several peaks in the 31P-NMR spectrum of the preischaemic rat brain; beta-ATP, alpha-ATP, gamma-ATP, phosphocreatine (PCr), phosphodiesters, inorganic phosphate (Pi) and sugar phosphate. As soon as the ischaemia was induced, PCr and ATP decreased and Pi increased. The chemical shift of the increased Pi peak decreased, showing acidosis of the brain tissue. After circulation was restored following the 30 min ischaemia, recovery of the 31P-NMR spectrum occurred within 30 min in all sixteen untreated rats. Recovery of the 31P-NMR spectrum was induced by recirculation only in half of the six rats in the untreated 60 min ischaemia group. None of the six rats in the untreated group showed recovery of the spectrum after 120 min ischaemia. When 20% Fluosol-DA was administered at a dose of 20 ml/kg before the induction of ischaemia, all eight rats showed recovery of the spectrum after 120 min ischaemia. Moreover, four of six rats treated with both PFC and glycerol showed temporary recovery even after 240 min ischaemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Spatial mapping of the chemical shift in NMR.

In many biological systems, nuclear magnetic resonance chemical-shift studies of 31P, 13C, and 1H can be of great value as a means of studying metabolic processes in vivo. This information is likely to be of great clinical value in the diagnosis of disease and in the study and monitoring of the effect of drug treatment. This paper discusses two new techniques, based on the echo-planar imaging (EPI) method. One is the echo-planar shift mapping (EPSM) technique and the other is a hybrid projection reconstruction-echo-planar (PREP) method. Both methods may be used to obtain complete chemical-shift spectra at each point of a specified grid in a chosen plane through the subject. A major attraction of the EPSM method is the very high speed at which this information is obtained. The major attraction of the PREP hybrid method is its simplicity. Both techniques have the advantage of speed and efficiency over both the point-by-point topical magnetic resonance (TMR) and 3D Fourier transform approaches. The new mapping techniques may also be used to measure magnetic field spatial inhomogeneities, caused by either the presence of magnetic material or simply nonalignment of the magnet.

In vivo measurement of energy metabolism and the concomitant monitoring of electroencephalogram in experimental cerebral ischemia

The energy metabolites in rat brain in vivo were measured by using topical magnetic resonance (TMR) during the whole course of ischemia, in combination with the concomitant monitoring of electroencephalogram (EEG). Immediate loss of high energy phosphorus compounds, phosphocreatine (PCr) and ATP, resulted in the flattening of EEG after the induction of ischemia. PCr and ATP returned to almost normal level 30 min after recirculation of the ischemic brain, but EEG showed no recovery and the abnormality lasted for 12 h. The measurement of in vivo 31P-NMR is essential for the decision of the convalescence of cellular function in the brain.

31P NMR studies of resting muscle in normal human subjects.

Study of human tissues using 31P topical Magnetic Resonance is completely atraumatic; it allows simultaneous measurement of the concentrations of many important metabolites and of intracellular pH. In some critical situations, TMR yields more accurate results than those obtained by chemical analysis of tissue biopsies. We have shown that TMR can be calibrated to obtain quantitative measurements in human subjects. We have also shown that theories of control of glycolysis based on regulation by key metabolites of rate-limiting enzymes are inconsistent with the observed changes in intact muscle.

In vivo 31P-NMR studies on aerobic recovery of frog muscle following tetanus.

Aerobic recovery after a 60-sec tetanus of skeletal muscle of frog was studied using the in vivo 31P-NMR method with a topical magnetic resonance spectrometer (TMR) at 17 degrees C. Creatine phosphate recovered with a time constant of about 25 min-1. Sugar phosphates increased by the Pasteur effect, and saturated at about 4.5 mmol/kg muscle. The high level of the sugar phosphates was sustained during the following 60 min.

Natural abundance Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of liver and adipose tissue of the living rat.

We have employed the topical magnetic resonance (TMR) technique to obtain natural abundance 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra from liver and adipose tissue in the living rat. Experiments were performed in a TMR magnet (20-cm diameter) with a two-turn radio-frequency coil ("surface" coil) combined with a focused static magnetic field. The in vivo spectra that were obtained at 20.2 MHz have been assigned by comparison with those from excised organs obtained in a conventional spectrometer operating at 90.5 MHz. Signals in the TMR spectra corresponding to carbons of the carbohydrates, glucose and glycogen, and of the lipids, triglycerides and phospholipids, have been resolved in vivo and assigned. The effects of chronic modification of dietary fat and carbohydrate on the in vivo spectra have been investigated. The levels of carbohydrates and of saturated and unsaturated fats in the liver as measured by 13C TMR reflect the relative amounts of these compounds in the long-term diet.