Rolf F. Schulte1, Jonathan I. Sperl1, Eliane Weidl2, Marion I. Menzel1, Martin A. Janich1, 3, Oleksandr Khegai1, 3, Markus Durst, 14, Jan Henrik Ardenkjaer-Larsen5, 6, Steffen J. Glaser3, Axel Haase4, Markus Schwaiger2, Florian Wiesinger1
1GE Global Research, Munich, Germany; 2Nuclear Medicine, TU Munich, Germany; 3Chemistry, TU Munich, Germany; 4IMETUM, TU Munich, Germany; 5GE Healthcare, Copenhagen, Denmark; 6Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen
Hyperpolarised [1-13C]pyruvate is enzymatically converted into lactate, alanine and bicarbonate. In this work, a metabolic exchange rate mapping approach is presented for quantifying metabolic activity. It based on a spectral-spatial excitation of the metabolites combined with a saturation of the downstream metabolites and subsequent recovery due to fresh conversion from pyruvate. Various improvements were made to the spectral-spatial pulse design, the spiral readout and other sequence parameters. The saturation-recovery metabolic exchange rate imaging approach was demonstrated in four rats bearing subcutaneous MAT B III tumours.