1Department of Radiology, Hee-Mang Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
2Research Institute of Medical Imaging, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
3Department of Radiology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Medical Imaging, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
*Corresponding author's e-mail: gwjeong@jnu.ac.kr
Online published on 10 February, 2017.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of in vivo31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for monitoring changes in growth-related phosphate metabolite concentration and intracellular pH value in rabbit thigh muscle implanted with VX-2 carcinoma. The time-course magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in vivo31P MRS were examined weekly in the course of 10 weeks following the onset of a VX-2 carcinoma implantation. The spectra were quantitatively analyzed to obtain vital information on the time course variation of the phosphorus metabolites and intracellular pH value according to the tumor growth. Elevation in the concentrations of phosphormonoesters (PME), inorganic phosphate (Pi), and phosphodiesters (PDE) was observed over the time course of 3–4 weeks after the implantation of VX2 carcinoma, while the rest of the metabolites, PCr and ATP tended to be constant. The concentration changes of PME, Pi, and PDE were positively correlated with the volumes of tumor necrosis. The intracellular pH values decreased with the time course of tumor growth and the volumes of tumor necrosis. In vivo31P MRS is capable of non-invasive monitoring of intracellular pH values as well as the concentration changes of phosphate metabolites during tumor growth.
In vivo31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), Neoplasm, Phosphorus metabolites, VX-2 carcinoma
