Lanette J. Friesen-Waldner1,
2, Trevor P. Wade1, 2, Curtis N. Wiens3,
Kundan Thind1, 2, Jacqueline K. Harris1,
Kevin J. Sinclair1, Colin M. McCurdy1, Albert P. Chen4,
Nica M. Borradaile5, Charles A. McKenzie1, 2
1Department
of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario,
Canada; 2Imaging Research Labs, Robarts Research Institute,
London, Ontario, Canada; 3Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; 4GE Healthcare,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 5Department of Physiology and
Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Brown fat is more metabolically active than white fat. The purpose of this study was to detect metabolism in brown fat using hyperpolarised 13C MRS and CSI. 2D CSI of hyperpolarised [1-13C]pyruvate in the subscapular fat pad of mice showed more metabolism to lactate in brown fat than white fat. The ratio of lactate to total carbon was 53% in brown fat, and 22% in white fat. These results suggest that hyperpolarised [1-13C]pyruvate MRS and CSI can be used to differentiate the metabolic activity of brown fat from white fat.