Imaging the healthy human brain with hyperpolarized 13C MRI

Abstract

Hyperpolarized 13C MR Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) can be used to probe human metabolism in vivo in real time. To date, this has been applied to studies of [1-13C] pyruvate metabolism in oncology and in the healthy human heart (1-3). Here we describe initial results from the first study to image [1-13C] pyruvate metabolism in the healthy human brain. The results show the feasibility of imaging the exchange of hyperpolarized 13C label between pyruvate and the endogenous lactate pool in the healthy brain as well as spectroscopic measurements of 13C-bicarbonate production.