Multinuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Human Healthy and Neoplastic Renal Tissues

Abstract

High-resolution multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) (1H, 13C, and 31P) has been applied for the first time to the study of the biochemical composition of human healthy and neoplastic renal tissues. Thirteen healthy renal tissues, thirteen renal cell carcinomas, and five oncocytomas were examined. From each sample two types of extract were obtained: the water-soluble fraction and the lipid fraction. 1H MRS of aqueous extracts yielded information on renal osmolytes which can be considered markers of physiological renal function. The decrease or the disappearance of these osmolytes and the appearance of glycine in renal cell carcinomas is a hallmark of cancer. The oncocytomas, benign tumors, appear to have a biochemical composition in between healthy and malignant tissue. Further information can be derived from the 13C MR analysis of the lipid fraction: cholesteryl esters, present in high amounts in renal cell carcinomas, are related to the vascularization degree of the tumor. Other correlations between the spectroscopic results and the histopathological data are reported.

1H‐NMR and 13C‐NMR lipid profiles of human renal tissues

“…Thus, it is not surprising that the lipidic pattern of ON is more similar to that of normal kidney than to that of RCC. Actually, the water soluble metabolite 1 H‐NMR profile is in between healthy and RCC tissues 34. From the 1 H‐ and 13 C‐NMR spectra (not reported) of the total lipid fraction obtained from ON, the following points can be assumed: Chol is present only in its free form (analogous to the healthy tissue); an unusual amount of PhC (revealed by 1 H resonance at 3.30 ppm and 13 C resonance at 54.3 ppm, both assigned to the three methyl groups of the Cho residue) is present in comparison with healthy and malignant tissue; and a very high FA/Chol ratio is present as in the normal kidney, where FAs are due to Ph only, because TGs and CholEs are absent. …”

Abnormal Choline Phospholipid Metabolism in Breast and Ovary Cancer:Molecular Bases for Noninvasive Imaging Approaches

“…Despite an in vivo dependence of the 31 P spectrum on hormonal status [30], the results of 31 P-MRS for differentiating malignant from benign breast tumors were found inadequate for a clinical use [31]. On the contrary, in the last decade, many in vivo 1 H-MRS studies based upon tCho signal analysis in breast cancer lesions offered promising results with possible translation into clinical practice [32][33][34][35], as discussed in more detail in a following section. This perspective was also strengthened by the possibility to perform a 1 H-MRS study as a final step after a regular breast DCE-MRI examination.…”

Molecular characterization of human gastric mucosa by HR-MAS magnetic resonance spectroscopy

“…To our knowledge, no studies have been reported in the international scientific literature dealing with the application of ex vivo HR-MAS MRS in the characterization of the biochemical composition of human gastrointestinal mucosa. From this perspective our research group will investigate the biochemical composition of normal human gastric mucosa by means of ex vivo HR-MAS MRS. As a part of a more comprehensive study on the biochemical characterization of human healthy and neoplastic tissue (5,(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40), the aim of this study is to characterize the molecular pattern of a healthy human gastric mucosa for the comparison with gastric adenocarcinomatous tissues which will be studied in a near future.…”