Doxorubicin
can lead to pre-clinical and clinical heart failure and reduced myocardial
energetics. Alterations in metabolism potentially play a role in chemotherapy
induced heart failure. The aim of this work was to
assess the in vivo metabolic
phenotype of doxorubicin treated hearts using hyperpolarized MRS. Doxorubicin cardiotoxicity
was induced in Wistar rats and 4 weeks later, CINE-MRI and hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate
MRS was performed. Doxorubicin resulted
in significant wall thinning, and reductions in both cardiac function and
volume, all indicative of cardiotoxicity. Interestingly, doxorubicin resulted
in significant metabolic alterations; with reductions in both PDH flux and 13C
label incorporation into alanine.