Nicholas Drachman1, Stephen J. Kadlecek1, Mehrdad Pourfathi1,2, Yi Xin1, Harrilla Profka1, and Rahim R. Rizi1
1Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States, 2Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
In this study, we investigate the possibility of simultaneously imaging pH and lactate to pyruvate ratio in vivo in the lungs. We produce hyperpolarized 13C-bicarbonate by rapidly decarboxylating hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate with hydrogen peroxide. By tuning the reaction rate by altering the pH, we produce roughly equal amounts of pyruvate and bicarbonate, which allows us to image both metabolic processes simultaneously.
