Simultaneous assessment of cardiac metabolism and perfusion using copolarized [1-¹³ C]pyruvate and ¹³ C-urea

To demonstrate the feasibility of imaging a bolus of co-polarized [1-¹³ C]pyruvate and ¹³ C-urea to simultaneously assess both metabolism and perfusion in the rodent heart.

Copolarized [1-¹³ C]pyruvate and ¹³ C-urea was imaged using a multi-echo, flow-sensitized spiral pulse sequence. Healthy rats were scanned in a two-factor factorial design (n = 12 total; metabolism: overnight fasting versus fed with dichloroacetate injection; perfusion: rest versus adenosine stress-induced hyperemia).

Alterations in metabolism were detected by changes in pyruvate metabolism into ¹³ C-bicarbonate. Statistically independent alterations in perfusion were detected by changes in myocardial pyruvate and urea signals.

The new pulse sequence was used to obtain maps of metabolism and perfusion in the rodent heart in a single acquisition. This hyperpolarized ¹³ C imaging test is expected to enable new studies in which the cardiac metabolism/perfusion mismatch can be studied in the acute environment. Magn Reson Med 77:151-158, 2017. © 2016 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.