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In vivo13C nuclear magnetic resonance: Applications and current limitations for noninvasive assessment of fatty acid status

  • In Vivo Assessment of Fatty Acid Status
  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

As a noninvasive method,in vivo 13C nuclear magnetic resonance has potentially important applications in understanding the metabolism of long chain fatty acids in organs of living humans. At present, this methodology is most advanced for research on glucose utilization. However, the main13C signals visiblein vivo are from fatty acids in adipose tissue and the olefinic signals can be used to noninvasively estimate adipose tissue content and relative dietary intake of polyunsaturates and monounsaturates. The low natural abundance of13C improves the utility of this isotope for fatty acid tracer studies. Due to excessive signal broadening, uniform13C-labelling seems to have limited application inin vivo fatty acid studies. Tracer fatty acids with13C enrichment at a specific carbon position, i.e., [3-13C]γ-linolenate, appear to be the most useful forin vivo tracer studies. Development of methods permitting resolution of13C enrichment in structural lipids of lean tissues will be an important breakthrough which may make human tracer studies feasible and worthwhile.

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Abbreviations

NMR:

nuclear magnetic resonance

PUFA:

polyunsaturated fatty acid

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Author notes

  1. Gerard Moine

    Present address: Vitamins and Fine Chemicals Division, F. Hoffmann-LaRoche, Basel, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, M5S 1A8, Toronto, Canada

    Stephen C. Cunnane, Sergei S. Likhodii & Gerard Moine

Authors
  1. Stephen C. Cunnane
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  2. Sergei S. Likhodii
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  3. Gerard Moine
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Cunnane, S.C., Likhodii, S.S. & Moine, G. In vivo13C nuclear magnetic resonance: Applications and current limitations for noninvasive assessment of fatty acid status. Lipids 31, S127–S130 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02637063

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02637063

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