The rate of phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery (k ) after exercise, characterizing muscle oxidative capacity, is traditionally assessed with unlocalized P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) using a single surface coil. However, because of intramuscular variation in fibre type and oxygen supply, k may be non-uniform within muscles. We tested this along the length of the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle in 10 male volunteers. For this purpose, we employed a 3T MR system with a P/ H volume transmit coil combined with a home-built P phased-array receive probe, consisting of five coil elements covering the TA muscle length. Mono-exponential k was determined for all coil elements after 40 s of submaximal isometric dorsiflexion (SUBMAX) and incremental exercise to exhaustion (EXH). In addition, muscle functional MRI ( H mfMRI) was performed using the volume coil after another 40 s of SUBMAX. A strong gradient in k was observed along the TA (P < 0.001), being two times higher proximally vs. distally during SUBMAX and EXH. Statistical analysis showed that this gradient cannot be explained by pH variations. A similar gradient was seen in the slope of the initial post-exercise H mfMRI signal change, which was higher proximally than distally in both the TA and the extensor digitorum longus (P< 0.001) and strongly correlated with k . The pronounced differences along the TA in functional oxidative capacity identify regional variation in the physiological demand of this muscle during everyday activities and have implications for the bio-energetic assessment of interventions to modify its performance and of neuromuscular disorders involving the TA.

We report the effects of Ca(2+) binding on the backbone relaxation rates and chemical shifts of the AD and BD splice variants of the second Ca(2+)-binding domain (CBD2) of the sodium-calcium exchanger. Analysis of the Ca(2+)-induced chemical shifts perturbations yields similar K(D) values of 16-24 microM for the two CBD2-AD Ca(2+)-binding sites, and significant effects are observed up to 20 A away. To quantify the Ca(2+)-induced chemical shift changes, we performed a comparative analysis of eight Ca(2+)-binding proteins that revealed large differences between different protein folds. The CBD2 (15)N relaxation data show the CBD2-AD Ca(2+) coordinating loops to be more rigid in the Ca(2+)-bound state as well as to affect the FG-loop located at the opposite site of the domain. The equivalent loops of the CBD2-BD splice variant do not bind Ca(2+) and are much more dynamic relative to both the Ca(2+)-bound and apo forms of CBD2-AD. A more structured FG-loop in CBD2-BD is suggested by increased S(2) order parameter values relative to both forms of CBD2-AD. The chemical shift and relaxation data together indicate that, in spite of the small structural changes, the Ca(2+)-binding event is felt throughout the molecule. The data suggest that the FG-loop plays an important role in connecting the Ca(2+)-binding event with the other cytosolic domains of the NCX, in line with in vivo and in vitro biochemical data as well as modeling results that connect the CBD2 FG-loop with the first Ca(2+)-binding domain of NCX.

Significance The human prostate accumulates high luminal citrate levels to serve sperm viability. There is only indirect qualitative evidence about metabolic pathways and carbon sources maintaining these levels. Human citrate-secreting prostate cancer cells were supplied with 13 C-labeled substrates, and NMR spectra of extracellular fluid were recorded. We report absolute citrate production rates of prostate cells and direct evidence that glucose is the main carbon source for secreted citrate. Pyruvate carboxylase provides sufficient anaplerotic carbons to support citrate secretion. Glutamine carbons exchange with carbons for secreted citrate but are likely not involved in its net synthesis. Moreover, we developed metabolic models employing the 13 C distribution in extracellular citrate as input to assess intracellular pathways followed by carbons toward citrate.

It is possible to perform prostate (1)H-MRSI at 7T with a SPSP-MRSI sequence while using separate transmit and receive coils. This low-SAR MRSI concept provides the opportunity to increase spatial resolution of MRSI within reasonable scan times.