Abstract #3922

Alternating Acquisition for Quantification of Pyruvate Metabolism in Hyperpolarized 13C Studies

Seungwook Yang¹, Joonsung Lee¹, Yoonho Nam¹, Eunhae Joe¹, Jae-Eun Suk², Ho-Taek Song², Dong-Hyun Kim¹

¹Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea; ²Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea

A method for accurate quantification of hyperpolarized pyruvate and the product lactate in in vitro experiment is described. By using a narrow-band RF excitation pulse with alternating acquisition at every TR, metabolic product can be selectively excited with a higher flip angle for increased SNR while the hyperpolarized magnetization of the substrate can be minimally perturbed with a low flip angle. Also, baseline signals from neighboring resonances can be suppressed to accurately quantify the metabolism kinetics. Furthermore, with the modified version of the two-site exchange model that is also presented, calculation of the rate constants associated with the conversion is also possible.