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Phosphatidylcholine contributes to in vivo 31P MRS signal from the human liver

  • Magnetic Resonance
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Abstract

Objectives

To demonstrate the overlap of the hepatic and bile phosphorus (31P) magnetic resonance (MR) spectra and provide evidence of phosphatidylcholine (PtdC) contribution to the in vivo hepatic 31P MRS phosphodiester (PDE) signal, suggested in previous reports to be phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP).

Methods

Phantom measurements to assess the chemical shifts of PEP and PtdC signals were performed at 7 T. A retrospective analysis of hepatic 3D 31P MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) data from 18 and five volunteers at 3 T and 7 T, respectively, was performed. Axial images were inspected for the presence of gallbladder, and PDE signals in representative spectra were quantified.

Results

Phantom experiments demonstrated the strong pH-dependence of the PEP chemical shift and proved the overlap of PtdC and PEP (~2 ppm relative to phosphocreatine) at hepatic pH. Gallbladder was covered in seven of 23 in vivo 3D-MRSI datasets. The PDE gall/γ-ATPliver ratio was 4.8-fold higher (p = 0.001) in the gallbladder (PDEgall/γ-ATPliver = 3.61 ± 0.79) than in the liver (PDEliver/γ-ATPliver = 0.75 ± 0.15). In vivo 7 T 31P MRSI allowed good separation of PDE components. The gallbladder is a strong source of contamination in adjacent 31P MR hepatic spectra due to biliary phosphatidylcholine.

Conclusions

In vivo 31P MR hepatic signal at 2.06 ppm may represent both phosphatidylcholine and phosphoenolpyruvate, with a higher phosphatidylcholine contribution due to its higher concentration.

Key Points

• In vivo 31 P MRS from the gallbladder shows a dominant biliary phosphatidylcholine signal at 2.06 ppm.

• Intrahepatic 31 P MRS signal at 2.06 ppm may represent both intrahepatic phosphatidylcholine and phosphoenolpyruvate.

• In vivo 31 P MRS has the potential to monitor hepatic phosphatidylcholine.

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Abbreviations

PtdC:

phosphatidylcholine

PCr:

phosphocreatine

PDE:

phosphodiesters

PEP:

phosphoenolpyruvate

Pi:

inorganic phosphate

PME:

phosphomonoesters

AMARES:

advanced method for accurate, robust and efficient spectral fitting

B0 :

magnetic field strength

MRSI:

magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging

GPC:

glycerol 3-phosphorylcholine

GPE:

glycerol 3-phosphorylethanolamine

MRS:

magnetic resonance spectroscopy

31P:

phosphorus

TE:

echo time

TR:

repetition time

FWHM:

full width at half maximum

SD:

standard deviation

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Acknowledgments

We thank Vladimir Mlynarik for a helpful discussion. The scientific guarantor of this publication is Associate Professor Martin Krššák, Ph.D. The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. This study was supported by the Vienna Spots of Excellence des Wiener Wissenschafts-und Technologie-Fonds (WWTF) – Vienna Advanced Imaging Center (VIACLIC), and the OeNB Jubilaeumsfond (grants #13629, #15455, and #15363). No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects in this study. Some study subjects or cohorts have been previously reported in Szendroedi and Chmelik et al. (Hepatology, 2009). Methodology: prospective / retrospective, experimental, performed at one institution.

Parts of this study were presented at the ISMRM, 2013, Salt Lake City (Chmelik, M. et al., Human bile phosphatidylcholine contributes to 31P MRS hepatic signal at 2.06 ppm. (e-poster ID#4090)).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MR Centre of Excellence, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Marek Chmelík, Ladislav Valkovič, Wolfgang Bogner, Martin Gajdošík, Stephan Gruber, Siegfried Trattnig & Martin Krššák

  2. Department of Imaging Methods, Institute of Measurement Science, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Ladislav Valkovič

  3. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Peter Wolf, Michael Krebs & Martin Krššák

  4. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Emina Halilbasic & Michael Trauner

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  1. Marek Chmelík
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Correspondence to Martin Krššák.

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Chmelík, M., Valkovič, L., Wolf, P. et al. Phosphatidylcholine contributes to in vivo 31P MRS signal from the human liver. Eur Radiol 25, 2059–2066 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-014-3578-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-014-3578-y

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