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Total creatine in muscle: imaging and quantification with proton MR spectroscopy
P A Bottomley1, Y Lee, R G Weiss
1Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287-0843, USA.
Radiology
|August 1, 1997
Summary
Proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy offers a noninvasive method to image and quantify total creatine in human muscle. This technique can help understand muscle diseases and evaluate creatine therapies.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Total creatine is crucial for cellular energy metabolism in muscle.
- Accurate quantification of muscle creatine is vital for diagnosing and managing metabolic disorders.
- Previous methods for creatine measurement were invasive, limiting repeated assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a noninvasive method for imaging and quantifying total creatine in human skeletal muscle using proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy.
- To establish the reliability of MR spectroscopy for assessing muscle creatine levels.
Main Methods:
- Proton (hydrogen-1) MR spectroscopy with water suppression and chemical shift imaging was employed.
- Lower leg muscles of 10 healthy volunteers were scanned at rest.
- Total creatine concentration was calculated by correlating creatine signals with water signals within voxels.
Main Results:
- Proton MR spectroscopy successfully localized total creatine to muscle bundles.
- Total creatine levels measured by MR spectroscopy (36.2 +/- 5.0 mmol/kg wet weight) were consistent with biopsy data.
- Lipid signals showed minimal contribution and no significant correlation with total creatine levels.
Conclusions:
- Proton MR spectroscopy provides a reliable, noninvasive method for imaging and quantifying total creatine in human muscle.
- This technique holds potential for advancing the understanding of creatine metabolism in muscle diseases.
- It can also aid in quantifying patient responses to creatine supplementation therapies.