Choline as a reporter molecule has been investigated by in vivo magnetic resonance for almost three decades. Accumulation of choline metabolites (mainly the phosphorylated forms) had been observed in malignancy in preclinical models, ex-vivo, in vivo and in patients. The combined choline metabolite signal appears in (1) H-MRS of the brain and its relative intensity had been used as a diagnostic factor in various conditions. The advent of spin hyperpolarization methods for in vivo use has raised interest in the ability to follow the physiological metabolism of choline into acetylcholine in the brain. Here we present a stable-isotope labeled choline analog, [1,1,2,2-D(4) ,2-(13) C]choline chloride, that is suitable for this purpose. In this analog, the (13) C position showed 24% polarization in the liquid state, following DNP hyperpolarization. This nucleus also showed a long T(1) (35 s) at 11.8 T and 25 °C, which is a prerequisite for hyperpolarized studies. The chemical shift of this (13) C position differentiates choline and acetylcholine from each other and from the other water-soluble choline metabolites, namely phosphocholine and betaine. Enzymatic studies using an acetyltransferase enzyme showed the synthesis of the deuterated-acetylcholine form at thermal equilibrium conditions and in a hyperpolarized state. Analysis using a comprehensive model showed that the T(1) of the formed hyperpolarized [1,1,2,2-D(4) ,2-(13) C]acetylcholine was 34 s at 14.1 T and 37 °C. We conclude that [1,1,2,2-D(4) ,2-(13) C]choline chloride is a promising new molecular probe for hyperpolarized metabolic studies and discuss the factors related to its possible use in vivo.
Investigation of hyperpolarized substrate metabolism has been showing utility in real‐time determination of in‐cell and in vivo enzymatic activities. Intracellular reaction rates may vary during the course of a measurement, even on the very short time scales of visibility on hyperpolarized MR, due to many factors such as the availability of the substrate and co‐factors in the intracellular space. Despite this potential variation, the kinetic analysis of hyperpolarized signals typically assumes that the same rate constant (and in many cases, the same rate) applies throughout the course of the reaction as observed via the build‐up and decay of the hyperpolarized signals. We demonstrate here an acquisition approach that can null the need for such an assumption and enable the detection of instantaneous changes in the rate of the reaction during an ex vivo hyperpolarized investigation, (i.e. in the course of the decay of one hyperpolarized substrate dose administered to a viable tissue sample ex vivo). This approach utilizes hyperpolarized product selective saturating‐excitation pulses. Similar pulses have been previously utilized in vivo for spectroscopic imaging. However, we show here favorable consequences to kinetic rate determinations in the preparations used. We implement this acquisition strategy for studies on perfused tissue slices and develop a theory that explains why this particular approach enables the determination of changes in enzymatic rates that are monitored via the chemical conversions of hyperpolarized substrates. Real‐time changes in intracellular reaction rates are demonstrated in perfused brain, liver, and xenograft breast cancer tissue slices and provide another potential differentiation parameter for tissue characterization.
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