Development of Multi-Nuclear In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Metabolic Phenotyping of Mouse Hearts

Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy (MRI and MRS) are ideally suited for the non-invasive assessment of cardiac anatomy, func­tion and metabolism in models of cardiovascular disease. However, while MRI for assessing global cardiac function is becoming routine in rodents, methods are lacking to assess the metabolic changes that occur in models of disease, or as a consequence of specific gene changes. Developing these methods will be highly relevant as a growing body of evidence implicates changes in energy metabolism is important in the development of heart failure, and the ability to study cardiac physiology allows the dissection of the molecular pathways involved. We have obtained funding to develop novel, multi-nuclear MRS techniques on our new 9.4 T MR system to non-invasively investigate cardiac energy metabolism and ion homeostasis experimentally. Our results should not only lead to a better understanding of cardiac pathophysiol­ogy, but will also provide the basis for more comprehensive, multi-parametric tools for future basic and translational cardiac research.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy (MRI and MRS) are ideally suited for the non-invasive assessment of cardiac anatomy, function and metabolism in rodent models of cardiovascular disease. However, while MRI for assessing global cardiac function is becoming routine in rodents, methods are lacking to assess the metabolic changes that occur in surgical models of disease, or as a consequence of specific gene modifications. Developing these methods will be highly relevant as a growing body of evidence implicates changes in energy metabolism as important in the development of heart failure, and the ability to study cardiac physiology in the mouse allows the dissection of molecular pathways in a way that is not possible in humans. Therefore, we propose to develop novel, multi-nuclear MRS techniques on our new 9.4 T experimental MR system to non-invasively investigate the energy metabolism and ion homeostasis of mouse hearts in vivo. Our results should not only lead to a better understanding of cardiac pathophysiology, but will also provide the basis for more comprehensive, multi-parametric tools for future basic and translational cardiac research.