1H-MRS Can Be Used to Investigate Creatine Metabolism in Multiple Organs Within a Single Examination in the Mouse

Kiterie Maud Faller¹, Craig A. Lygate¹, Stefan Neubauer¹, Jurgen E. Schneider¹

Creatine has a protective effect against ischemia in tissues with high energy demand such as the brain or the heart. ¹H-MRS is the only technique available to measure creatine non-invasively. As the metabolism of creatine is organ-specific, spectra from different organs need to be acquired to get a general view of creatine metabolism in the mouse. We showed that creatine can be measured within a single anaesthesia in three different organs (brain, cardiac and skeletal muscles) with a simple set-up and with a good accuracy. This allows us to perform longitudinal studies in mice with global changes in creatine levels.