2D Heteronuclear Single-Quantum Coherence MR spectroscopy for in vivo detection of 13C-labeling in rat brain during simultaneous infusion of 13C-labeled substrates

We adopted a 2D heteronuclear single-quantum coherence (HSQC) MR spectroscopy method to detect in vivo ¹³C isotopomers in rat brain through exploiting the high sensitivity of ¹H MRS. This method allows for in vivo detection of unique ¹³C-labeling patterns in brain metabolite pools during simultaneous infusion of different ¹³C-labeled substrates. We demonstrated that high-quality 2D HSQC MR spectra can be acquired in vivo in a time-resolved manner from rat brain during simultaneous infusion of [U-¹³C₆]-glucose and [2-¹³C]-acetate. This method can be used to study with high accuracy neuronal and glial metabolism, and the contribution of alternate substrates to brain energy metabolism.