Mapping of cerebral oxidative metabolism with MRI

Using a T_1ρ MRI based indirect detection method, we demonstrate the detection of cerebral oxidative metabolism and its modulation by administration of the mitochondrial uncoupling agent 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) in a large animal model with minimum utilization of gas. The study was performed by inhalation in swine during imaging on clinical MRI scanners. Metabolic changes in swine were determined by two methods. First, in a series of animals, increased metabolism caused by DNP injection was measured by exhaled gas analysis. The average whole-body metabolic increase in seven swine was 11.9%+/-2.5% per mg/kg, stable over three hours. Secondly, hemispheric brain measurements of oxygen consumption stimulated by DNP injection were made in five swine using T_1ρ MRI following administration of gas. Metabolism was calculated from the change in the T_1ρ weighted MRI signal due to H₂¹⁷O generated from inhalation before and after doubling of metabolism by DNP. These results were confirmed by direct oxygen-17 MR spectroscopy, a gold standard for in vivo H₂¹⁷O measurement. Overall, this work underscores the ability of indirect oxygen-17 imaging to detect oxygen metabolism in an animal model with a lung capacity comparable to the human with minimal utilization of expensive gas. Given the demonstrated high efficiency in use of and the proven feasibility of performing such measurements on standard clinical MRI scanners, this work enables the adaption of this technique for human studies dealing with a broad array of metabolic derangements.